Seniors and Marijuana

Medicinal marijuana has been legal in the state of California for many years now, and acquiring a prescription for it required finding a doctor who would recommend it for an issue you were having. But now, marijuana has been legalized recreationally. What that means is that dispensaries for marijuana and marijuana derived products are allowed to operate and sell product to anyone who desires to purchase it, assuming they are above the legal age.

With many people touting the benefits of marijuana as a pain reliever, an appetite stimulant, sleep aid, and more, it’s natural to have questions and curiosity about marijuana and its effects, and if it can be of any benefit to you personally. One way to start is by discussing your issues and your concerns with your primary care physician.

In some situations, medical marijuana can be quite beneficial for patients as one of their treatments, enhancing their existing prescriptions and treatments. Rigorous research for the scientific efficacy of medical marijuana is still limited as of yet. But we know that it has been used for thousands of years by people across many different cultures and time periods. Some patients also report great anecdotal success in using marijuana for pain, anxiety, insomnia, and diminished appetite.

The compounds in marijuana that affect the body are THC and CBD. THC is the more psychoactive ingredient, the one responsible for the “high” that people associate with marijuana, with the stereotypical effects of behavior we’ve seen over and over again in movies and TV, such as the various films of Cheech and Chong. CBD, on the other hand, is the compound that is responsible for the anti-anxiety effects, while causing none of the psychoactive effects.

Many seniors understandably want to control their symptoms and get the benefits of the drug without experiencing the high associated with it. If you don’t want to experience little or any impact on your thinking, starting with something that has the lowest possible dose of THC is advisable. At both recreational or medical marijuana dispensaries, the employees will be able to tell you the exact ratio and milligrams of CBD and THC in a given product. There are products that contain mostly CBD, and comparatively little or even no THC. When trying products out, try to keep a record of how much was taken, any benefits that were achieved, and any negative effects you may have suffered, and to remain in communication with your healthcare provider throughout the process.

Every individual is unique. Some people, especially regular users of cannabis, can take very high doses of THC and suffer little to no psychoactive effects at all. Others can take low doses of the drug and experience positive effects like being able to lower or completely cessate the doses of some or all of their other pain medications. Another upside of marijuana compared to traditional pain medications is that it doesn’t slow down gut motility. This means that it allows patients to avoid the necessity of taking bowel meds, which can often be necessary with narcotics.