Given the increase in THC potency, healthcare professionals should educate older cannabis-users, especially high-frequency users, on potential safety issues and adverse effects.”Cannabis use among older US adults has more than doubled between 2008 and 2019 including to relieve pain and treat health issues.
The research was based on responses from 17,685 men and women aged 50 and older to the 2018 and 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health .
The authors found people who reported using cannabis for medical reasons were more than four times more likely than non-medical users to discuss their use with a healthcare professional.
As well as calling on doctors to do more, the study authors say the NSDUH needs updating to ‘reflect changing cannabis product commercialisation,’ e.g.
But little is known about where they get cannabis and how much they discuss their use with doctors, which this study aimed to establish.
This annual federal government survey, which is the largest of its kind, measures substance use and misuse and mental illness across the US.
However, only a minority of medical users did this, which the authors say implies some are self-treating without consulting a doctor.
cannabidiols, topical solutions and edibles, all of which are available to older people.