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One would think that the youth are the main beneficiaries of freedom Legalized weedBut after legalization in Canada, the biggest increase in users is among older adults — and it's sometimes sending them to the hospital, a new study finds.
Emergency room visit rates for cannabis poisoning in older adults during the legalization period Dried cannabis flower And edibles — from October 2018 to December 2022 — were significantly higher in Canada than in the pre-legalization period; The research letter was published on Monday In JAMA Journal of Internal Medicine.
Food products that include baked goods, candy and beverages are becoming increasingly popular, says lead researcher Dr. Nathan Stahl, a geriatrician and clinical scientist at Sinai Health in Ontario. But some seniors may not be aware of the potency of today's weed, and little is known about the health effects of legalizing edible cannabis on adults — an age group that saw the biggest increase in overall cannabis use in Canada, Stall said, a year after the legalization of dried cannabis flower.
“There's a bit of an ageist bias in that many health care professionals, and indeed the public, believe that older people don't use drugs. And that's not true,” Stall said. We found that the largest increase in emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning among seniors occurred after the legalization of retail sale of edible cannabis in January 2020.
The authors used administrative data from the Ontario Ministry of Health to examine the rate of emergency department visits for cannabis poisoning among older adults during the pre-legalization period—January 2015 to September 2018—and the two legalization periods—October 2018 to December 2019. Only dried cannabis flowers are allowed to be sold, marking the legalization of cannabis edibles from January 2020 to December 2022.
When people have cannabis poisoning, according to Stall, they can experience confusion; Psychosis including hallucinations; Anxiety or panic attacks; Rapid heartbeat Chest pain Nausea and vomiting.
During the eight-year study period, there were 2,322 emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning among seniors, who averaged 69 years of age. Of those adults, 17% had experienced alcohol abuse at some point, 38% had cancer, and 6.5% had dementia. Compared to pre-legalization, the No. 1 emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning during legalization were twice as high. The amount during the second legalization tripled from pre-legalization.
“This study provides a warning about legalizing the drug without adequate research, education, and consumer counseling regarding side effects and safe use, especially in older adults,” said Dr. Lona Mody and Dr. Sharon K. Inouye. Involved in the study, comment on the research.
Modi is the Amanda Sanford Hickey Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Inouye is director of the Aging Brain Center at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. Boston, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
When it comes to explaining the higher prices, it's worth discussing the inadvertent and intentional use of cannabis, experts said.
“Edible cannabis products can be particularly dangerous because they are indistinguishable from non-cannabis foods and can contain high levels of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active ingredient in medical and recreational cannabis,” said Mody and Inoue.
In his own practice, Stahl saw a common situation due to the lack of differentiation, he said: An emergency room doctor couldn't figure out why an older adult patient was debilitated by nerve pain through any of the typical tests — just a toxicology test. They came back positive for cannabis, much to the patient's surprise.
“The other thing is that cannabis today is very different than it was in the early 90s and mid-80s,” Stall explained. “Today's cannabis extracts contain 30 times more THC. … Seniors who haven't used cannabis in decades and are now trying again in this post-legalization era may not know.
Also, age-related changes in organ function and how the drug is distributed throughout the body — as well as health conditions or prescription drugs, especially psychoactive drugs — can make it easier for an older adult to experience cannabis poisoning, Stahl added. .
Some people who intentionally ingest cannabis products may not realize that this form has a more delayed effect than direct intravenous inhalation, he said. Thinking that the edible will not work, they will quickly take another one and get more than they bargained for.
There are also people who find prescription medications ineffective for pain relief, insomnia or dementia symptoms, so they use edibles for medical purposes, but without consulting a doctor first, Stahl said.
Prohibiting the use of cannabis may be “appropriate” for some individuals, but “I'm hesitant to give blanket advice that other adults shouldn't use it, because there are people who can use it even if that advice is given,” Stahl said.
Therefore, prevention of cannabis-related harm to adults requires a multi-pronged approach, including keeping cannabis food in locked areas and indoors. Clearly known packaging.
Products intended for use by seniors should have dosage information with specific instructions for older adults, “recognizing that the dosage they need is much lower than younger people,” Stahl said. “In geriatrics, we have a mantra: start low and go slow. The same mantra applies here.
The amount of cannabis that is toxic can depend on many individual factors, but some studies suggest that people should wait at least three hours before taking a second dose, he said.
Health care providers need to have open, nonjudgmental conversations with seniors about cannabis use and its benefits and risks, he said.