The use of medical cannabis products by qualified patients ages 50 and older is associated with a reduced need for prescription medications and significant health-related quality of life improvements, according to data published in the scientific journal Cannabis. Canadian investigators assessed medical cannabis use patterns and its effect on health outcomes in a cohort of 200+ older patients (average age: 67). Study participants primarily suffered from chronic pain-related conditions. Patients’ health data was collected at baseline and again at three months and at six months.
Most patients in the study consumed orally administered cannabis products containing significant percentages of CBD. Researchers reported, “Most patients experienced clinically significant improvements in pain, sleep, and quality of life and reductions in co-medication”, including pain medications, antidepressants, and sleep aids. No serious adverse events were reported.
“To the best of our knowledge, the present report describes one of the largest longitudinal study of authorised older medical cannabis patients to date” the study’s authors concluded. “The results of this multi-site, prospective, longitudinal study of medical cannabis patients ages 50 years and older indicate that cannabis may be a relatively safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, sleep disturbances and other conditions associated with ageing, leading to subsequent reductions in prescription drug use and healthcare costs, as well as significant improvements in quality of life”.
25 February, 2025