Older Adults Turn to Marijuana Dispensaries for Alternative Treatments

As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use, the fastest growing group of users is people aged 50 years and older, with especially steep increases among those aged 65 years and older, reports NPR . Some cannabis dispensaries are tailoring their pitches to older individuals seeking alternatives treatments for their aches, pains, and other medical conditions. A licensed cannabis dispensary in Santa Ana, CA, called Bud and Bloom, pays for a free shuttle from various retirement communities in the area. Many of the individuals taking the bus are repeat customers; others are seeking education, says Kandice Hawes, director of community outreach for Bud and Bloom. Despite such enthusiasm, marijuana is not well-researched, says David Reuben, MD, Archstone professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. While cannabis is legal both medically and recreationally in California, it remains a schedule 1 substance, making it harder to study. The limited research that exists suggests that marijuana may be helpful in treating pain and nausea, according to a research overview published last year by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Reuben says he sees a growing number of people interested in using it for conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain, and depression. "I am in general, fairly supportive of this because these are conditions (for which) there aren't good alternatives," he says.