Doctors warn seniors against consuming too much THC

Due to an increase in incidents of senior citizens consuming too much cannabis, doctors are warning senior citizens against using the plant properly. In particular, eating edibles without proper guidance is known to induce panic, although the risks are rarely physical.

KOMO News in Seattle reports that doctors want to educate seniors on how to avoid panic and unnecessary emergency room visits. This can be solved by simply educating about the differences between edibles, topical and smokable products and how they affect us differently.

It is the responsibility of every consumer to educate themselves thoroughly before consuming any food or product high in THC.

“There are a number of different situations where you could end up in the emergency room because of a combination of cannabis and a drug or cannabis and another product,” says Dr. Lianne Hirano, of the geriatrics department at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, told KOMO News.

“If you are new to using products or are used to using products from the ’60s and ’70s, today’s products are much more effective. Your body and metabolism may not be used to this potency,” she said. “It can be pretty scary.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that seniors often tend to overuse cannabis when used to lower doses.

There are a number of reasons seniors might try cannabis for medicinal purposes. Some seniors turn to cannabis to help them sleep. Researchers found that cannabis helped seniors get an average of 30 minutes more sleep overall. Study participants used smartphones and actigraphy watches to log their sleep patterns

Some seniors believe that cannabis itself can help in the fight against aging. Seniors are turning to cannabis to treat common signs of aging, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Almost 80% of those who reported using cannabis said they did so for medical reasons. The results of the study “Cannabis: A New Treatment for Common Symptoms in Older Adults” were published October 7, 2020 in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.

Today’s grass is “a different animal”

Hashtag Cannabis marketing director Christine Bryant described today’s more potent weed as “a different animal.”

“The difference is that when you apply it topically, you don’t feel the intoxicating effects of THC. However, you will feel some of the anti-inflammatory effects that THC can exert on the skin barrier. That’s the difference with an oral (product) like a gummy bear or chocolate, something like that. Will this affect your whole system? You’ll process it through your liver and feel an effect throughout your body,” she said.

In case you consume too much THC, sniffing black peppercorns is an old trick that can partially, but not completely, mitigate the effects.

Studies show both improvements and setbacks from cannabis use by older people. Last January, researchers at the University of California San Diego published a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggesting that the number of emergency room visits for cannabis users age 65 and older has increased by 1,804% over the past 15 years.

Another study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society also reported an increase in seniors using cannabis. A survey of nearly 600 adults in this age group found that 15% said they had used marijuana products in the past three years.

Anyone consuming cannabis should be aware of the correct dosage to avoid panic calls to the emergency room.