Cannabis as a therapy in old age
More and more studies are showing that medicinal cannabis is not only effective for younger patients, but can also be a valuable addition to traditional therapy for senior citizens. A recent study from Israel, published in the journal Biomedicines, now provides further evidence:
➡️ Older patients who used pharmaceutically regulated cannabis products for at least six months reported significant improvements in several areas of health.
Details of the study
- Participants: 119 patients with an average age of 79 years
- Complaints: Majority suffered from chronic pain
- Form of consumption: Mainly tinctures
- Observation period: at least 6 months
The researchers analyzed the participants’ self-reported results and found the following effects:
Central results
- Pain relief: Chronic pain was significantly reduced.
- Fewer opioids: patients reduced their opioid intake by almost 50%.
- Mood improvement: symptoms of depression decreased noticeably.
- Improvement in everyday life: Quality of life increased noticeably, especially in patients over 80 years of age.
Significance of the results
The results fit in with a growing number of studies showing that older people can benefit from cannabis – particularly through:
- Reduction of side effects of strong medications such as opioids
- Improving mental health
- Better quality of life despite chronic illnesses
The authors of the study summarize:
“Cannabis helps to alleviate depressive symptoms and significantly reduce pain. Our results also show a comparatively favorable safety profile of cannabis medicine in older patients.”
Conclusion: Cannabis as an opportunity for geriatric medicine
The Israeli study underlines the potential of medical cannabis in geriatric medicine. Most importantly, many patients were able to reduce their opioid dependency, which is of enormous importance given the risks of traditional painkillers.
👉 Nevertheless, cannabis should always be used under medical supervision to ensure the correct dosage and avoid possible interactions with other medications.
Source: https://norml.org/news/2023/10/19/study-cannabis-products-reduce-pain-depression-in-elderly-patients/