The post Should Medical Marijuana Be Given To Seniors? appeared first on High Times.
The world of medical marijuana can seem like a whirlwind of change. For starters, medical marijuana laws are constantly evolving. Beyond that, a bigger cross-section of the population is beginning to explore the benefits of medicinal cannabis. In particular, the number of senior citizens consuming medical marijuana has been going up in recent years. But should medical marijuana be given to seniors? This guide covers everything you need to know.
Senior Citizens and Medical Marijuana
There is no reason that an elderly person should be more wary of medical marijuana than a person of any other age. Cannabis does not appear to pose any specific or unique risk to elderly consumers.
In fact, the exact opposite is true. Research shows that cannabis can provide a number of benefits for seniors. That’s because medical marijuana can effectively treat many of the health conditions that elderly folks are more likely to experience as they grow older.
And it appears that many seniors are starting to figure this out. The number of seniors now consuming medical marijuana has skyrocketed in recent years.
A study published in 2016 looked at trends in cannabis use among the elderly. More specifically, it compared stats from 2006/07 to 2012/13.
During that timeframe, there was a 57.8 percent relative increase in the number of adults between the ages of 50-64 who use medical cannabis. Even more striking, researchers saw a 250 percent relative increase in the number of cannabis users aged 65 and up.
Much of this increased use has to do with the growing number of states that have legalized some form of medical