Study shows that medical Marijuana is safe for the elderly.It eases pain, anxiety and sleep disorders in elderly people with neurological conditions, according to new research.
After just four months it helped those caused by chronic disorders including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease and spinal cord or nerve damage, the study said.
About seven in ten (69 per cent) reported some improvement after taking cannabis for four months.
The researchers found it was safe and effective, and it also caused a third of patients to reduce their use of highly-addictive opioids, that have killed more than 200,000 Americans in the last eight years.
‘Our findings are promising and can help fuel further research into medical marijuana as an additional option for this group of people who often have chronic conditions.’Study Researcher says.
There is huge demand for researchers to investigate the drug which is increasingly popular among patients, but with little scientific literature to back up its benefits.
In New York, marijuana is legal for medical use.
And a recent report found that most of the state’s 98,000 medical marijuana users are aged 50 to 70. Participants took various amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), the main ingredients in medical marijuana, for an average of four months and had regular checkups.
The former is the psychoactive compound in cannabis that makes users ‘high’, interacting with receptors in the central nervous system.The latter does not have this effect, and is thought to help reduce anxiety and inflammation.
They were administered either in liquid form, as a capsule or in an electronic vaporiser.
The biggest benefit was seen for pain with about half (49 percent) experiencing relief. Sleep problems were reduced in almost a fifth (18 percent).
Numbness or weakness triggered by a breakdown in nerve signalling, known as neuropathy, decreased for one in seven (15 percent) and anxiety improved in one in ten (10 percent).
What is more, one in three (32 percent) ended up taking fewer opioids which often lead to addicts experimenting with illegal substances such as heroin.
They have caused more deaths by accidental overdose than any other drug in US history, leading to a national public health emergency being declared in 2017.
Findings show that medical marijuana is well-tolerated in people age 75 and older and may improve symptoms like chronic pain and anxiety.