Californian baby boomers using cannabis for chronic pain are winding up in hospital after finding today’s weed is not like it was in the old days.
However, the state’s legalisation of recreational use in 2016 does not appear to have exacerbated the trend.
A new study by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found cannabis-related visits to emergency departments by adults aged 65-plus increased by 1,808% between 2005 and 2019.
Data from the Department of Healthcare Access and Information showed ED visits surged from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 just 14 years later.
First author and geriatrician Benjamin Han said many patients assume there will be no adverse side effects from cannabis as they don’t view it as seriously as they would a prescription drug.
However, he added others are lulled into a false sense of security by their previous use when they were younger and stronger – and cannabis was not as potent.
“I do see a lot of older adults who are overly confident, saying they know how to handle it,” Han said. “Yet as they have gotten older, their bodies are more sensitive, and the concentrations are very different from what they may have tried when they were younger.
“Although cannabis may be helpful for some chronic symptoms, it is important to weigh that potential benefit with the risk, including ending up in an emergency department,” he warned.
The use of cannabis by older adults – both socially and to treat specific symptoms – has increased significantly in the US since states started legalising the drug for medicinal and recreational purposes.
California legalised medicinal use in 1996 and recreational use in 2016.
However, the authors noted that although ED visits increased sharply between 2013 and 2017, they leveled off after the Adult Use of Marijuana Act was implemented.
“The availability of recreational cannabis does not appear to correlate with a higher rate of cannabis-related ED visits among older people,” they said.
