Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we take a look at a new study that examined why older individuals use cannabis, tips on storing marijuana, using cannabis during the pandemic and more. Enjoy.
Seniors and Cannabis
If you are a mature consumer who uses cannabis to address common symptoms of aging, such as pain, insomnia, and anxiety you are not alone.
In fact, according to an article that recently appeared in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, nearly 80 percent of seniors surveyed who reported using cannabis said they did so for medicinal reasons—and many are putting a new spin on the term “late bloomers.”
The study, “Cannabis: An emerging treatment for common symptoms in older adults,” was conducted by researchers at University of California San Diego.
That’s the word from A.J. Herrington who reported on the study for High Times. Herrington said researchers surveyed 568 seniors at a geriatric clinic. All respondents were at least 65 years old, and 73 percent of those surveyed were older than 75.
The investigators found that 15 percent of the seniors they interviewed had used cannabis in the last three years and half of that group reported using cannabis regularly. Cannabis was used primarily for medical reasons by 78 percent of those who reported its use.
One author of the study, Kevin Yang, a third-year medical student at UCSD, reported that researchers also found that 61 percent of respondents who used cannabis had started to do so at the age of 60 or older.
Said Yang, “Surprisingly, we found that nearly three-fifths of cannabis users reported using cannabis for the first time as older adults. These individuals were a unique group compared to those who used cannabis in the past.”
He added that new users were more likely to use cannabis for medical reasons than for recreation, more likely to use it topically as a lotion rather than by smoking or ingesting edibles and more likely to inform their doctor about their cannabis use. He saw that as an indication that cannabis use is no longer as stigmatized as it was previously.
According to Christopher Kaufmann, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Department of Medicine at UCSD and one of the study’s authors, “Pain, insomnia, and anxiety were the most common reasons for cannabis use and, for the most part, patients reported that cannabis was helping to address these issues, especially with insomnia and pain.”
Kaufmann went on to say more evidence-based research was needed, adding, “Could cannabis be a safer alternative to treatments, such as opioids and benzodiazepines? Could cannabis help reduce the simultaneous use of multiple medications in older persons? We want to find out which conditions cannabis is most effective in treating. Only then can we better counsel older adults on cannabis use.”
If you want to learn more about the study we urge you to read A.J. Herrington’s insightful and informative article. It appeared in the October 27, 2020 issue of High Times.
hightimes.com/news/study-finds-seniors-use-cannabis-treat-symptoms-aging/
Stat of the Week
It appears that using cannabis is one way a significant number of individuals are coping with the pandemic. In fact, many report their consumption has increased.
According to the folks at New Frontier Data more than 4 in 10 (42 percent) cannabis consumers (i.e., those using at least once a year) said their average overall cannabis use has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure comes from a U.S. market survey conducted by New Frontier Data.
The survey also found that 42 percent of those surveyed reported little change in their pattern of consumption, while 16 percent reported decreasing use during 2020.
Survey results also revealed that 58 percent of those 55 and older said their pattern of consumption has not changed during the pandemic while consumers under age 55 were more than 2 times likelier than those 55 and older to have increased consumption.
To learn more and have a chance to appreciate New Frontier Data’s enlightening infographic, visit the November 22, 2020 issue of Cannabyte.
newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/cannabis-consumers-coping-with-covid-19/?
Consumer Corner
So you finally made it down to the dispensary where you plunked down your hard-earned cash for several grams of Pineapple Kush, Skypilot or—and this is a real strain of cannabis—something called Meat Breath.
Assuming you are not going to go full Belushi and consume all of your purchase in one sitting, you are faced with the challenge of storing it in a way that keeps it as fresh and tasty as it was when you brought it home.
Fortunately, earlier this year Will Hyde, writing for Leafly, offered some tips on the best ways to store marijuana. We’ve visited his article in an earlier issue but with the holidays approaching we thought it might be helpful to take another look at a few of his dos and don’ts, on the off chance Santa leaves something special in your seasonally-appropriate argyles.
Do – store out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place.
Do – separate your strains to maintain their individual flavor profiles. Hyde suggests using a Sharpie to label them with a date of purchase.
Do – keep your cannabis in vacuum sealed jars and containers. That helps to minimize its exposure to oxygen.
Do — keep extracts, such as tinctures, sealed tight in their containers in a cold, dark, dry place
Don’t – store cannabis in the refrigerator. Cold buds will collect humidity from the air which can damage their flavor. In fact, if you have placed a container of cannabis in the refrigerator it’s best to let it return to room temperature before opening it. The same goes for keeping it in the freezer.
Don’t – store cannabis above or around electronics or appliances that give off heat. Excessive heat can dry out the cannabinoids and terpenes that help to produce the desired effect and give a cannabis strain its distinctive aroma and taste. When these essential oils get too dry along with plant material, it can result in a hot, harsh smoke.
You can learn more by reading Will Hyde’s entertaining and helpful article, “How long is my weed good for? Leafly’s guide to storing cannabis.” It appeared in the April 14, 2020 issue of Leafly.
www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/how-long-is-my-cannabis-good-for-leaflys-guide-to-storing-cannabi?
Quote of the Week
“With 1 in 3 Americans now living in places where they can buy cannabis, I think it’s safe to say this industry is legit.”— Karson Humiston.
Humiston is CEO of Vangst, which is described as a leading recruiting and staffing platform for the cannabis industry.
The quote comes from an article Lindsey Bartlett wrote for Forbes in which she takes a look at the potential economic impact of the five emerging cannabis markets of Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota.
Vangst predicts those five markets will create 26,241 new jobs by 2025. It’s estimated the legal cannabis industry in the U.S. currently supports 250,000 jobs.
Lindsey Bartlett’s revealing article on the economic impact of legalization in emerging markets appeared in the November 18, 2020 issue of Forbes.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
