Seniors Smoking Cannabis is on the Rise

Older citizens on Cannabis – What happens when you heavily smoke pot?

Emergency Department visits are increasing since older adults have been turning to cannabis to self-treat mental health concerns. What are they self-treating? Some of the reasoning among users include the following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Dementia – given by caregivers to belay negative behavioral complications of dementia, such as agitation
• Pain
• Escape

What happens when you heavily smoke pot as a older citizen? 

Cannabis Help

The family is desperate for help. Their elder loved one is seeing severe cognitive decline. Someone they respect tells them that cannabis is their answer, a miracle snake-oil for many other conditions including TBI. Unfortunately, the patient received absolutely no benefit but did experience some mild, notable adverse effects. Drugs are drugs. They either help or they do not and for each drug there are adverse issues to be aware of. Pot in all variety of forms; to be smoked, vaped, eaten, ingested as liquids, used as oils, and applied via creams and cosmetics.  Whether simple over the counter drugs or illegal drugs, or newly legal drugs they ALL have a toll on the health of your body and mind not all a good trade off.

Age Complications

As we age, we’re more likely to have more conditions that can complicate the use of substances and medications. Lets look at the physiology. Cannabis is fat-soluble and with increasing age, you have more body fat vs water in your body.  This means as we age we need less medication for the intended effect also the medication remains in a body for longer than when you were young. Cannabis is difficult to study as there are many unknown factors with over 100 different cannabinoids. We are currently most aware of these two; THC and CBD. THC, psychotropic, and CBD, enhancing the release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and has antipsychotic effects. So further, older adults have other risks, being more vulnerable to the impacts of substance on their brains.

Risks

Really we must weigh the risks with this knowledge, being as we age we have a higher risk for problems with thinking and coordination. In addition to this cannabis has potential negative effects on your lungs, your heart, your brain. Given unknown factors of these plus multiple cannabinoids impact on the brain, taking it on a whim should be a health challenge.

What is driving pot consumption rate increase?

• First, Legalization of pot use. As pot use is increasingly normalized people become comfortable, really experimenting with its use.
• Second, our current older age group of 65+ (we are in the year 2024) are part of the “Baby Boomer” generation. This generation holds permissive attitudes about substance use.
• Finally, third and maybe most important is that older adults are using cannabis to treat symptoms that aren’t easily managed by other traditional treatments or conventional treatments, medications. These are the big three things driving increased user rates.

Increased Consumption

Cannabis is still illegal federally and in six states, and so there’s stigma around its use therefore not everyone will tell their Primary Care Physician about their use. The data shows cannabis use among people of 65+, born 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom, is on the rise.

What your doctor wants you to know about cannabis?

Doctors consider unique risks for our elder population and what they wish their patients knew when they were younger before they started this detrimental habit. Using the data from National Survey of Drug Use and Health, we know that in the year 2021 there was a little more than 7% users in this age group.

Along with the pot-smoker increase there is an uptick in visits to the emergency department. People who begin the pot habit as an older person or are continuing this habit from their earlier years pose unique risks to there well being and those surrounding them. NSDUH data also help us to identify the extent of substance use leading to mental illness among different subgroups, with this we can estimate trends over time. With that information we can determine future treatment services will be needed in our community.

Using cannabis “to cope” could make mental health challenges worse by masking an easy challenge.  Regular use can lead to a cannabis use disorder or dependence. If you are dependent, it can be hard to cut back or stop using.

So What’s the Big Pot Health Problem?

Cardiac Event Risks

Smoking cannabis can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. This increases the risk of the following cardiac events:

• Arrhythmia
• Angina
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Questionable issues for those with heart conditions.

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

The science-backed way to stop CHS from coming back is to avoid all cannabis use. The only cure for CHS is cessation—to quit using cannabis. Cannabinoids are stored in the body’s fat cells, so the longer somebody has been using marijuana and the more fat cells they have, the longer it takes the chemical compounds to leave the body. Smoking or taking cannabis in any form can cause the following:

 

Easing the Cost of Housing is easy with the Professionals at Golden Placements:

Golden Placements helps you manage resources and takes care of the leg work for finding your best living situation so you can enjoy your best Golden Years. GPS has ideas gathered over years of experience by being Senior Life Specialists.  Portland Senior Living and their various options from our Golden Girls specialists are IS NO COST. Community living and finding the right living choice for you or your loved one is important. We help you navigate the details. Here are more resources to help you learn more about our services: Here are more resources to help you learn more regarding Drugs, Alcoholism and Aging:

• Alcoholism and Aging – wernicke korsakoff syndrome
• National Library of Medicine (NLM) study of Alcoholism and Aging Life Transitions – Effects of age and life transitions on alcohol and drug treatment outcome over nine years
• National Library of Medicine (NLM) Facts on Seniors Aging with Alcoholism
• Golden Placements Adult Services – Life Transitions Short Term Memory Loss
• Look forward to Golden Placement new blog post on how to deal with someone with Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome – What happens when you drink?

 

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Diane Delaney, Placement Specialist Extraordinaire

Delaney is the founder of Golden Placement Services. She began this business with a healthy dose of compassion for  helping families make educated decisions regarding senior placement. Focused to relieve stress in uncertain senior housing crucial moments.  Diane brings about loving change of lifestyle with grace. Additionally, Diane is an accomplished executive manager, Director of Operations in senior housing. Emphatically, she enjoys sharing her experience by writing about the full spectrum of the transition process for seniors and family members.   Read more from Senior Placement Specialist Diane: Ultimate Senior Living Resource Guide >>

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LaVona Tomberlin, Senior Placement Specialist

Tomberlin brings a high level of education and experience to you as your Senior Placement Specialist at GPS. She loves writing about improving the lives of Elderly working in private care and in-home care for over 36 years. Geriatrics, Memory Care. Plus, she holds Master of Psychology Behavioral Health with the goal of advocating for those who needed a voice. Basically, LaVona believes helping the families to make good decisions and to relieve their stress in uncertain times makes life worthwhile! Learn More: Read articles from Placement Specialist LaVona: End of Life Transition a heart felt Guide >>

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Gwenn McNeal 
 
2023-03-09
 
 
  
Golden Placement Services answered!

It’s really difficult to have to place an aging parent into a facility, but our family knew it was time. So I did some research, called 15 facilities, and managed to get on one wait list. I also called two companies that assist with finding homes, and they said they could not help. We were concerned we wouldn’t find a place, and if we did, it could be a very poor choice for our dad.

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They have blessed us greatly and we are sharing their information with others we know who are going through the same process.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
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2022-10-18
 
 
  
Our family is so grateful for Diane and her company.  They have helped us, two times find placements for our family members. We are now working now to find a great situation for another elderly family member.. Best thing, THEY CARE about each client and their wellbeing... THANK YOU, Diane
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Addison Inman 
 
2019-05-31
 
 
  
What a great resource for seniors in this area. Great, honest work. Very knowledgeable.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
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2013-03-23
 
 
  
They were very helpful and while being professional, kind and caring.  They were thorough in trying to find the best arrangement for our situation and followed-up to make sure client's new arrangements were satisfactory.  I highly recommend them.