Many seniors have found cannabis to be helpful in treating or managing various health conditions. But like any medicine, it can cause issues and the impacts add burden to hospital emergency departments.
Various studies have indicated medical cannabis is generally safe for and well-tolerated by older adults. However, a new study led by Jerry H. Gurwitz — professor of medicine and a researcher in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and the Division of Health Systems Science at UMass Chan Medical School — suggests many senior cannabis users are finding themselves in hospital emergency departments.
Dr. Gurwitz and his colleagues carried out a national study from 2016 to 2023 looking at emergency department visits among U.S. adults aged 50 and older that were linked to medical use of products containing cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
The numbers were quite unsettling. Adverse events attributed to such products jumped from 4,408 during 2020-2021 to 7,490 during 2022-2023; an increase of approximately 69.92% between the timeframes. Dr. Gurwitz says those numbers are just tip of the iceberg as only emergency department visits were captured.
“We’re not including urgent care visits, calls to doctors’ offices or adverse events where the person never sought medical attention,” he said.
The study found a wide range of adverse effects such as confusion, anxiety, paranoia, fainting spells, gastrointestinal symptoms, falls and injuries.
It’s not just the cannabis itself that can be problem, but how cannabinoids interact with other medications. It can potentiate the effects of other medications, or mute them; impacting on disease progress and treatment.
With multiple active compounds in various products and cannabis affecting different people in different ways, Gurwitz said doctors need to proactively monitor for its use and respond appropriately.
“… patients should be screened in routine visits, especially for older adults with chronic pain, sleep disturbances or other conditions for which a patient may choose to try these products.”
The study has been published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Another study published earlier this year found the proportion of adults aged 65 years or older using cannabis has more than quadrupled in the last 20 years. And on a more recent related note, among the risks of cannabis use in this cohort, we mentioned recent research out of University of Michigan evaluating the association with past-year driving after cannabis use (DCU). DCU figures were disturbingly high; leading to a call for interventions to prevent cannabis-impaired driving among aging adults.
