Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis-themed gifts for Mother’s Day, the emergence of Tommy Chong—yes, that Tommy Chong—as a cannabis entrepreneur, the need for mature consumers to let their doctor know they use cannabis, particularly if they use it for medical reasons, and more. Enjoy.
Product Trends
In the words of the Roman statesman Cicero, “O tempora, o mores.” If you need a yardstick to measure how things related to cannabis are changing consider the following. Your mother may be the one who is reluctant to discuss her use of cannabis products with you.
However, if you are lucky enough to have an open relationship with your mom, Nina Zdinjak, writing for Benzinga, offers several product ideas that may fill the bill when shopping for a Mothers Day gift this year. Here are a few.
For starters, Nugg Club,a company that offers cannabis subscription boxes, has something special for Mother’s Day. Zdinjak reports that it has designed a full Mother’s Day curated set of products that include drinks, edibles, flower, pre-rolls, topicals and vapes. While Nugg Club gift boxes are usually priced at $99, the products in the boxes can often be valued up to $225.
The cannabis delivery company Ganja Goddess is offering a special 15 percent discount on a variety of cannabis and CBD products from May 1-9. Just make sure you use the discount code CANNAMOM.
If your mom makes CBD part of her regular wellness routine, Zdinjak suggests products from Tonic CBD—a women-owned brand. For example, there’s TONIC CBD’s Outer Space CBD + CBG Body Butter. The product is said to be rich in plant-derived butter, oils, and essential fatty acids to moisturize and nourish your mom’s skin. CBD and CBG compounds in the product are intended to provide antioxidant effects. Outer Space CBD + CBG comes in two sizes, 1 oz and 4 oz, with prices from $15 to $65.
For the complete rundown of Nina Zdinjak‘s Mother’s Day cannabis gift ideas we suggest you read her article. It appears in the May 3, 2021 issue of Benzinga.com.
Medical Matters
Many mature consumers who use cannabis to address health problems fail to discuss their cannabis use with their doctor. That reluctance to be forthcoming can be a cause for concern according to research published in peer-reviewed The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Highlights of the study, conducted by a research team at the University of Texas, appeared in an article by Taylor & Francis on the content platform MedicalExpress.com. The study found that nearly one in ten (9 percent) of participants aged 50 and older used cannabis over the past year. Of those, nearly a fifth (19 percent) said they used cannabis to treat chronic pain, depression or diseases such as arthritis or to address other medical conditions.
According to the researchers from the University of Texas, the increase in the number of states legalizing cannabis is helping to fuel an increase in the number of older individuals using cannabis products.
The research team also emphasized the importance of educating mature consumers about the risks of obtaining cannabis and cannabis products from unregulated sources.
Said Namkee G. Choi from University of Texas at Austin, “The findings suggest that some medical users may be self-treating without healthcare professional consultation. All older people who take cannabis should consult healthcare professionals about their use of such products.” The research team also recommended that healthcare professionals should educate older cannabis users, especially high-frequency users, on potential safety issues and possible adverse effects.
The authors of the study also found people who reported using cannabis for medical reasons were more than four times more likely than non-medical users to discuss their use with a healthcare professional. The study also revealed that medical users tend to take cannabis more frequently, with 40 percent of those using it for medical reasons reporting they used it between 200 and 365 days a year.
Another concern that seems to have been left unstated by the research team is the possibility that medical marijuana and, in some cases, CBD products may—and we emphasize may—interfere with the effectiveness of other medications prescribed by your doctor. This doesn’t mean a patient necessarily has to choose between using cannabis and taking their other medication. It does underscore, however, the importance of talking about cannabis use with your doctor in the event the dosage of other medications has to be modified.
You can learn more by reading the article by Taylor & Francis that appeared in the April 30, 2021 issue of MedicalExpress.com.
medicalxpress.com/news/2021-04-doctors-screen-over-50s-cannabis.amp?
Senior Celebrity Spotlight
A comedian who was strongly associated with cannabis in pop culture in the 70s and 80s is now among the growing list of celebrities who are becoming cannabis entrepreneurs.
Truly a mature consumer if there ever was one, Tommy Chong, at age 82, has introduced a line of pre-rolled joints. According to Dustin Blitchok, reporting for Benzinga, Chong is launching his brand of pre-rolls in Michigan with in-state production partner MKX Brands.The pre-rolls feature a dozen different strains and will initially be available at a starting lineup of 20 dispensaries.
In a recent virtual press conference Chong, a cannabis advocate, comedian and actor, called cannabis, “my life’s work.” Chong said he hopes to sell so much product “that it will be worth our while to get invested into grows.”
Blitchok writes that the last time the 82-year-old Chong came to Michigan he was stopped at the airport, where the TSA found a “big jar of weed” in his son’s knapsack. Both Chong and his son escaped that encounter unharmed and with their “stash intact.”
You can learn more about Chong and the product line by reading Dustin Blitchok’s article in the May 3, 2021 edition of Benzinga.com.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“One of the biggest differences between how Millennials and Boomers consume marijuana lies within the reasons why each generation consumes. For Millennials, nearly half consume for recreational reasons, which is a stark contrast to Boomers who are twice as likely to use marijuana solely for medical reasons. Among those who consume for medical reasons, the top health ailments vary between generations. For example, Millennials cite chronic pain (27 percent) and migraines (13 percent) as their top medical reasons compared to Boomers who consume for arthritis (15 percent) and chronic pain (13 percent).”
The quote is taken from a recent study conducted by Verilife, a dispensary firm working with the PharmaCann group of companies.
For more information on how cannabis companies are marketing their products to mature consumers and other “consumer archetypes,” we urge you to read Dana Smith’s article. It appears in the May 3, 2021 issue of Cannabis.net.
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is 41 percent. In a finding that echoes some research we cited earlier, according to Josh Adams, Ph.D., Senior Industry Analyst, New Frontier Data, that’s the percentage of those who consume cannabis for medical reasons who also consume it on a daily basis—a rate that’s 11 percent higher than those who are recreational consumers—while another 26 percent of medical users are weekly consumers.
As a result, medical consumers also tend to spend at higher rates than do adult-use consumers, with 30 percent of medical consumers spending an average above $100+ per purchase.
Commenting on other findings in New Frontier Data’s recent look at consumer preferences, Adams reports that while smokable cannabis is the leading product among both consumer groups (46 percent for medical consumers vs. 59 percent for adult-use consumers), medical consumers are more likely to use alternative product forms. Specifically, medical consumers use tinctures, topicals, or pills and vaporizers at higher rates than do adult-use consumers .
According to Adams, medical consumers are also more likely than adult-use consumers to have used a CBD-only product.
To learn more about the differences between medical and recreational cannabis users, we suggest you read Josh Adams, Ph.D.’s analysis in the May 2, 2021 edition of CannaBit, a publication of New Frontier Data.
newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/the-medical-cannabis-consumer-in-2021/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com.
