One in 20 elderly Americans regularly smoke pots, findings

(HealthDay)-A new study shows that marijuana use is increasing among older Americans, with 1 in 20 people using it within the previous month.

About 5% of men and women over the age of 55 Marijuana According to a federal annual survey of possible dangerous behavior, it exaggerated last month between 2016 and 2018.

At twice the usage rate for men, about 6.7% reported cannabis use in the last three years, compared to 3.5% for women.

The author of the new study may have some explanations said.

“The number of people who use marijuana in medical conditions may increase. The number of people who use it for recreational purposes may increase. An environment where it is easier to say that the product is used when talking to someone And more people may be allowed to use it. From the government,” said collaborator Bill Jessdale, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts.

According to survey results, reported cannabis use increased annually between 2016 and 2018, increasing from 4.2% in 2016 to 55% and up to 5.9% in 2018.

According to the study, male use increased from 5.5% in 2016 to 8.3% in 2018, and female use increased from 3.2% to 3.9%.

Maximum increase is 11 state While recreational use of pots is legal, use of pots among the elderly has increased in almost every other place as well, Jesdale said.

Altogether, 33 states have somehow passed legislation that broadly legalizes marijuana.

“of course, Cannabis use “The number of states where adult use is legal has increased, and the number of states where drug use is legal has increased, while the number of states that have no legal provisions for cannabis use has also increased,” said Jedsdale.

“It’s kind of a ripple effect, as people see neighboring states loose and they feel more comfortable about it and are interested in trying it, he added. It was added.

There are many concerns related to the increasing number of older people using pots, said Pat Aussem, who reviewed the findings. He is Associate Vice President of Consumer Clinical Content Development at Partnership to End Addiction in New York City.

“Aside from recreational use, Senior citizens I’m using marijuana Pain relief, Neuropathy, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and many more Medical condition“Except for chronic pain, convulsions associated with multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, its marketing is far ahead of research, so the evidence supporting its use is sparse.”

One concern is that older people climbing on Woodstock may not be ready to increase the potency of today’s carefully cultivated marijuana.

Elderly people also tend to take more medicine than younger ones, increasing the risk that pots interact with prescriptions in a detrimental way, she added.

“There are hundreds of drugs that interact with marijuana. For example, there is concern that the use of marijuana may increase the risk of bleeding in older people with blood thinners,” Ausem said. “Because only a handful of states require pharmacists to be involved in the preparation of medical marijuana, many older people need to understand product selection, medications, drug interactions and side effects themselves. “

She said the states emphasized the need for medical research on marijuana and provided better information to older people who were interested in trying pots either with fun or with medicine.

“Seniors often ask their doctors for guidance, but doctors usually don’t have the ability to guide patients in choosing the right strain, dose level, and method of administration,” Ausem said. “Even when talking to a doctor to get a medical marijuana card, I’m surprised to find that many older people have some recommendations, rather than the prescription they are used to.”

Survey results were published on September 1 Internal medicine annual report..

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