With the tremendous buzz and momentum around the growth in cannabis acceptance and usage by seniors, you might be surprised to learn that this article, which I’ll reference below, was actually published in April of 2020.
The article is written by Peter Grinspoon, MD,
Opinions on cannabis use by seniors is clearly changing. Dr. Grinspoon notes:
Here’s a quote from the article that I found particularly insightul:
What’s notable to me is the line about educating your doctor as well as yourself. Granted, this was published a couple of years ago, but it’s still amazing how uninformed the average physician remains on cannabis and how unlikely it is that they will be able to share any meaningful guidance.
Data that was referenced in Dr. Grinspoon’s article also came from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The most interesting stat (to me) from this article is the fact that (according to their survey), the percentage of seniors who are using cannabis has increased 75% (2.4%-4.2%) from 2015 to 2018. That’s a staggering increase in the number of older stoners!
Aside from trying to educate your physician about the nuances of marijuana, it’s an excellent idea for seniors who are curious and / or using cannabis to read as much as you can about the strains, consuming methods and cooking ideas (edibles). This way, in addition to enjoying the high and benefiting from the effects, you can also become a more knowledgeable cannabis consumer.