As more and more of the older demographic comes online in the cannabis therapy world, research is needed not only to educate them but to make sure they’re safe. Being the most vulnerable members of our society, the elders, need to be protected from whatever may be a threat to them.
Luckily a new study was done on those in their 60s and found that “groups did not significantly differ in terms of cognitive performance measures.” The results suggest that use of whole plant medical cannabis does not have a widespread impact on cognition in older chronic pain patients.
Cannabis is a safe alternative to many sorts of recreation and medical substances.
This fits within data that show cannabis as a safe alternative to many sorts of recreation and medical substances. However, there’s more than the pains that come from aging that cannabis can address.
There’s great demand for cannabis therapy
Due to the rising acceptance, legality, and availability of cannabis, many are turning to the substance. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s being circulated in responsible ways.
According to a recent study done on confirmed cancer patients, “Patients disclosed medical cannabis use to their established medical teams but received little medical advice about whether and how to use medical cannabis. Patients with cancer used medical cannabis products as multipurpose symptom management and as cancer-directed therapy, sometimes in lieu of standard-of-care treatments.”
Despite some people using cannabis as a complete replacement for traditional treatment, national medical systems are woefully barren of useable cannabis information. If the system would like to stop failing their patients who use cannabis as medicine, then they need to start staying abreast of the burgeoning data.
Similar or better neurocognition
Another study performed on people living with HIV confirms the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis treatment.
As the authors explain in the abstract, “One-way ANCOVAs were conducted to examine effects of a past cannabis use disorder (CUD+) on tests of attention/working memory, processing speed, executive functioning, verbal fluency, learning, memory, and motor ability. Compared to the past CUD- group, the past CUD+ group performed significantly better on tests of processing speed, visual learning and memory, and motor ability.” Their findings suggest that HIV patients with past cannabis use have similar or better neurocognition across domains compared to HIV patients without past use.
Use of whole plant medical cannabis does not have a widespread impact on cognition in older chronic pain patients.
From cancer patients to people living with HIV, cannabis can be a blessing. Not only does it provide relief without unwanted side effects, but it also provides a profit as it’s a taxable substance like any other. It’s about time for cannabis to be covered by insurance. The data is already here.
Text: Karhlyle Fletcher
Cannabis Therapy – online magazine for cannabis patients and experts alike. Issue No.2 coming soon! In the meantime, check out the issue no. 1 HERE.
