The use of medical cannabis products by qualified patients ages 50 and older is associated with a reduced need for prescription medications and significant health-related quality of life improvements, according to data published in the scientific journal Cannabis.
Canadian investigators assessed medical cannabis use patterns and its effect on health outcomes in a cohort of 200+ older patients (average age: 67). Study participants primarily suffered from chronic pain-related conditions. Patients’ health data was collected at baseline and again at three months and at six months. Most patients in the study consumed orally administered cannabis products containing significant percentages of CBD.
Researchers reported, “Most patients experienced clinically significant improvements in pain, sleep, and quality of life and reductions in co-medication,” including pain medications, antidepressants, and sleep aids. No serious adverse events were reported.
“To the best of our knowledge, the present report describes one of the largest longitudinal study of authorized older medical cannabis patients to date,” the study’s authors concluded. “The results of this multi-site, prospective, longitudinal study of medical cannabis patients ages 50 years and older indicate that cannabis may be a relatively safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and other conditions associated with aging, leading to subsequent reductions in prescription drug use and healthcare costs, as well as significant improvements in quality of life.”
The findings are consistent with those of several other studies similarly reporting quality of life improvements and reduced prescription drug use among older cannabis consumers.
Commenting on the latest study, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “There is a growing body of evidence showing that cannabis can provide health-related quality of life improvements in older adults. Many older adults struggle with pain, anxiety, restless sleep, and other conditions for which cannabis products often mitigate. Many older adults are also well aware of the litany of serious adverse side-effects associated with available prescription drugs, like opioids or sleep aids, and they recognize the role medical cannabis can play as a potentially safer alternative.”
The full text of the study, “Medical cannabis for patients over age 50: A multi-site, prospective study of patterns of use and health outcomes,” is available from The Research Society on Marijuana. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Use by Older Adult Populations.’
