Elderly Function Better with Medicinal Cannabis, Study Finds
Medicinal cannabis has been associated with improvements in activities such as shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, and medication management
By Sarah Sinclair via Cannabis Health
A new study exploring the effects of medicinal cannabis in older adults found improvements in day-to-day functionality, as well as reductions in pain and opioid use.
Cannabis consumption is on the rise among older adults, especially in the past decade, as it becomes more widely available and accepted.
The 2022 annual report from the Monitoring the Future panel, which tracks drug use trends and prevalence, found that approximately 20% of Americans aged 50-60 had consumed cannabis in the past 12 months.
This was considered the highest percentage ever recorded by the survey among this age group, with many likely using it for its potential therapeutic properties. Previous research has suggested that this age group often uses cannabis for pain and sleep disorders, with generally positive results.
A new study conducted in Israel aimed to assess the effects of medicinal cannabis consumption in older adults, specifically its impact on their daily functions which, according to the article, had not been explored in previous studies.
Researchers conducted an observational study on 120 patients aged 65 and older who were prescribed cannabis for a variety of conditions, but mainly for non-oncological chronic pain.
Most participants were taking cannabis tinctures containing varying levels of CBD and THC.
Functionality, Pain, and Opioid Use
Results showed that the majority of patients (86%) reported some improvement after cannabis treatment during the six-month study period, as well as reductions in pain and prescribed opioid use.
Researchers also measured the effects of cannabis on activities of daily living (ADL) – which included bathing, dressing, feeding, and using the toilet – and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), such as using the phone, shopping, food preparation, cleaning, laundry, financial management, and medication responsibility.
They found that treatment was associated with improvements in IADL, but not in ADL. However, there was a “significant difference” between age groups, with younger patients having a “higher likelihood” of achieving better scores in IADL.
“The mechanism by which cannabis may improve functional status is by enhancing chronic pain, mood, and overall well-being. Another potential mechanism is the reduction of certain medications, such as benzodiazepines, which have been shown to impact functional status in older adults,” the researchers state.
“All these changes allow the elderly to function more independently in society, but these changes cannot improve functions such as continence, using the bathroom, or dressing, which are reflected in ADL scores. Therefore, it is not surprising that medicinal cannabis improves IADL, but not ADL.”
More Evidence-Based Data is “Essential”
The authors note several limitations of the study, including the observational nature only allowing them to identify an association rather than causality, variability in consumed cannabis, and the fact that most participants were being treated for pain.
They add that gathering more evidence-based data on the effects of cannabis in older adults is “essential.”
In the article's conclusion, the researchers write: “Medicinal cannabis in older adults may improve functional status and mood, as illustrated by better scores in IADL and GDS [Geriatric Depression Scale] after six months of treatment. Additionally, it is perceived as contributing to overall status and reducing pain and analgesic use, including opioids. Gathering additional evidence-based data, including data from double-blind randomized clinical trials, for this specific population is essential.”