Epidemiological characteristics, safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in the elderly

There is a substantial growth in the use of medical cannabis in recent years and with the aging of the population, medical cannabis is increasingly used by the elderly. Our study finds that the therapeutic use of cannabis is safe and efficacious in the elderly population. Cannabis use may decrease the use of other prescription medicines, including opioids. Gathering more evidence-based data, including data from double-blind randomized-controlled trials, in this special population is imperative.

Drug-Herb Interactions in the Elderly Patient with IBD: a Growing Concern

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is becoming more prevalent with the elderly being the fastest growing group. Parallel to this, there is an increasing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Nearly half of patients with IBD have used CAM at one time. The elderly patients, however, are burdened by comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, and altered functional status. With increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine in our elderly patients with IBD, it is vital for the provider to provide counsel on drug-herb potential interactions. The herbs discussed include cannabis sativa (marijuana, THC).

Are dispensaries indispensable? Patient experiences of access to cannabis from medical cannabis dispensaries in Canada.

In 2001, Canada established a federal program for cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). Medical cannabis dispensaries (dispensaries) are widely accessed as a source of CTP despite storefront sales of cannabis being illegal. Patients using dispensaries were older, more likely to have arthritis and HIV/AIDS, and less likely to have mental health conditions than those not using dispensaries.