A study published in the journal Drugs & Aging has shown that over-65s respond favourably to the use of cannabis-based prescription medicines (CBPMs) and may benefit from them more than younger people.
Using data provided by patients in the UK via the T21 self-reporting scheme run by Drug Science, researchers demonstrated the positive effectiveness CBPMs have had across all measured factors of health and well-being. Those 65 years and older who submitted data saw “significant” improvements in areas such as quality of life, mood, general health and sleep.
Data was gathered through standardised medical questionnaires and assessments at the beginning of the patients’ cannabis treatment, and again following three months of treatment. The responses revealed improvements in all areas for over 65s compared to younger patients, apart from sleep which saw greater benefits for those below 65.
“Relative to younger individuals, those aged over 64 years were more likely to be female (52.5% vs 47.0%), more likely to report pain as their primary condition (76.3% vs 45.6%) and less likely to report current daily use (20.2% vs 60.3%). They received fewer cannabis-based medicinal products and were more likely to receive a prescription for a cannabidiol dominant oil (17.5% vs 5.7%) and less likely to receive a prescription for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol dominant flower (32.5% vs 75.2%). There were significant improvements across all measures of well-being, but the extent of improvements in sleep were more marked in younger individuals,” the study authors wrote.
The findings support evidence from other studies that show those over 50 are not only using more cannabis but are also the fastest-growing age group in terms of the number of people using cannabis.
The current study has its limitations due to the self-reported nature of the data, as well as the relatively small pool it was taken from. However, researchers were confident in their conclusion that those over 65 are benefiting considerably from being prescribed cannabis medicines. “There are important differences between individuals aged 65+ years and younger individuals receiving cannabis-based medicinal products. Older aged individuals experience considerable improvement in health and well-being when prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products,” the study concluded.
