Study: Elderly Patients Reap Great Benefits from Cannabis

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is reporting that geezers on ganja are doing better than those who abstain, quoting the Israeli journal Frontiers in Medicine. According to the journal, Israeli researchers concluded that elderly patients who used cannabis medicinally experienced a greater quality of life and a reduced need for medications.

The researchers looked at elderly usage of federally allowed medical cannabis products over a period of six months. The study involved around 10,000 qualified cannabis patients. The participants averaged 55 years of age and were likely to have been diagnosed with a range of conditions, listing either pain, cancer, or post-traumatic stress. 

Most of the patients surveyed indicated that cannabis was highly effective in addressing their symptoms. 91 percent of the patients suffering from post-traumatic stress said that cannabis was effective at treating their conditions, with 84 percent of those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, and 78 percent of chronic pain patients agreeing. 

Israeli law allows physicians to grant authorization for qualified patients to access infused products and cannabis flower from licensed dispensaries. NORML goes on to say that, consistent with other studies, the majority of the subjects said that their overall quality of life was positively impacted during the course of the study. 

Consistent with previous studies, a good portion of the patients substituted their pharmaceutical medications with weed, something that many people have been doing in greater society as many people self-medicate with cannabis. Nearly forty percent of the patients who used opioids stopped using them after treatment with cannabis. Of those who were using prescription antidepressants and drugs to treat epilepsy twenty-five percent stopped their medications, with seventeen percent of those suffering from anxiety doing the same. 

As boomers age, we can expect to see more and more seasoned citizens turn to cannabis to manage the symptoms of their health conditions. And as we age just feeling relaxed and Irie can be a very good thing. So spark it up, Grandma, the herb is good for your health!