A new study published in the journal Drugs and Aging has shed light on the potential therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana for older adults. The research, conducted by a team from Drug Science and Imperial College London’s Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, aimed to address the lack of high-quality research on cannabis use in older individuals.
The study analyzed data from T21, a large observational study in the UK that focused on individuals seeking prescribed cannabis for various primary conditions. The researchers found that older patients experienced significant improvements in their health and well-being after three months of treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). These improvements included reductions in pain severity and interference, as well as improvements in general health, mood, and sleep.
One of the key findings of the study was that older individuals who continued using CBMPs reported considerable improvements in their quality of life. While the extent of improvement was slightly lower for older patients compared to younger ones, it was still substantial. The researchers concluded that older patients may derive multiple health benefits from using CBMPs.
In terms of patient outcomes, self-reported measures of quality of life, general health, mood, and sleep were used to assess the impact of CBMP treatment. The results showed consistent improvements across all these measures between the beginning of treatment and the three-month follow-up period. Additionally, there were significant reductions in depressed mood and sleep difficulties among older patients receiving CBMPs.
The study also highlighted some differences between younger and older patients receiving medical cannabis. Older patients were more likely to be female, report chronic pain as a primary condition, and take multiple prescribed drugs. They were less likely to have used marijuana before or reported daily use prior to starting treatment. In terms of prescribed products, older patients were more likely to receive CBD-dominant oil rather than THC-dominant flower.
Despite these differences, the study found evidence of consistent improvement in multiple measures of well-being among older patients after initiating medical cannabis treatment. The findings contribute to our limited understanding of how medical cannabis affects older individuals and highlight the need for more research in this area.
In conclusion, the study suggests that medical cannabis may offer significant therapeutic benefits for older adults, including improvements in pain severity, general health, mood, and sleep. Further research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and risks associated with using cannabis-based products in this demographic.
