If there’s an elderly person you know who’s having trouble sleeping and nothing seems to be helping, medical marijuana might be the miracle you all are looking for.
Medical marijuana has been making it way up the charts in popularity as a viable pain reliever as well as a relaxant. Reclaiming the position it once had in the U.S. (pre-1900s) as an “all-rounder” medicine, marijuana continues to gain the approval of both critics and professionals.
While most research surrounding marijuana revolves around its recreational usage, scientific researches supporting its medicinal usage have started to break new ground. Reassured by the scientific backing it now has, many people have started to use medical marijuana, despite the stigma surrounding it. Ironically, elderly people/senior citizens make the largest demographic of people benefitting the most from medical marijuana. There is still hesitance among older generation; however, many are being encouraged to use medical marijuana by their younger relatives as well as scientific researches. A recent study, published in The European Journal of Internal Medicine, has shown that a staggering 93% of elderly patients have reported significant improvements in their health conditions following medical marijuana usage. Some of the health conditions included:
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Crohn’s
- Ulcerative colitis
- Multiple sclerosis
Documented by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Cannabis Clinical Research Institute at Soroka University Medical Center, patients reported feeling less pain and an improvement in the overall quality of life (sleep, mood etc.).
How Does Marijuana Help with Sleep?
Marijuana based medicines can be made up of several combinations of the different chemical strands present in marijuana. Based on the combinations, marijuana can have sedative, simulative, psychedelic, or even paranoiac affects. Hence, it is important to learn more about marijuana and consult a medical marijuana doctor before you start taking your dose.
These different drug effects are caused by the primary chemicals present in cannabis (marijuana) known as cannabinoids that activate and react with the already present cannabinoid receptors in our nervous system. The two main cannabinoids responsible for the characteristic relaxing and pain-relieving effects of marijuana are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the only cannabinoid found in marijuana that has direct psychological effects (the “high” feeling) but its effects may be controlled by the combining it with cannabidiol and other cannabinoids as well.
According to a study done in 2008, THC reduces REM sleep, which means that a person spends more time in deep sleep, skipping the dream cycle. For people with PTSD, this means no nightmares. THC also helps relieve the pain caused by arthritis, a disease very common amongst the elderly. However, unsupervised and excessive intake of THC can lead to psychotic-like effects, and prolonged use can damage the sleep cycle. Hence, it is important to be aware of the dosage you are taking and the kind which works for you. Some of the strains which are known for inducing the sedative effect of marijuana are:
- Northern Lights (Indica)
- Granddaddy Purple (Indica)
- Afghan Kush (Indica)
- Tahoe OG Kush (Hybrid)
- God’s Gift (Indica)
Why Is It Especially Good for Senior Citizens?
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal (federally) drug amongst the elderly. Studies have shown that insomnia, sleep irregularities and other sleep disorders affect around 40% of the older adults. While reasons may vary from health problems health-related problems to changes in the environment, it is impossible to ignore the prevalence of sleep disorders. Some common causes of insomnia in older people include:
- Chronic pain
- Underlying medical conditions like arthritis or heart disease
- Restless leg syndrome
- Snoring or sleep apnea
- Frequent urination
- Medication side effects
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
According to professionals, in addition to its sedative effects, marijuana helps reset the natural clock in the elderly, which can help solve their sleep-related problems. It can also treat sleeping disorders indirectly by treating the diseases which cause them (e.g. arthritis, anxiety, etc.)
The biggest advantage it has for the elderly is that it is not addictive like most other prescription drugs or sleep-inducing pills. According to statistics, opioid addiction is on the rise amongst senior citizens. Many patients have been reported to have overdosed by mistake and have died in their people. No such threat exists while using marijuana because it is neither toxic nor addictive. To date, there have been no reported incidences of death by overdosing on marijuana.
Other Advantages of Using Marijuana
Other than being a potential cure for insomnia, medical marijuana can prove to be beneficial to the elderly for many other reasons. Some of those are:
- Marijuana can help increase your appetite (One of the very common and dangerous, consequence of deteriorating health conditions in seniors is appetite loss. Marijuana has been very successful in palliating nausea and acting as an appetite stimulator)
- It’s safer and more cost effective (As mentioned above, marijuana has far less severe side effects than the usual prescription medicines being used by seniors. Also, keeping in view the vast areas in which marijuana’s healing properties can be used (from high blood pressure to joint pain to insomnia), marijuana can replace and possibly reduce the number of prescription medicines that you are currently using!)
- Marijuana-infused creams and ointments can very successfully relieve arthritis and neuropathy pain
With medical marijuana now being legal in more than half of the U.S., it will not be long before it becomes the elderly’s drug of choice.