Growing acceptance of Cannabis use seen among older adults
Seniors say marijuana provides pain relief, other benefits.
A growing number of older people in Michigan are seeing the benefits of cannabis use to address the aches and pains that come with age.
“We have a ton of seniors who come in here,” said Jerry Millen, owner of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a cannabis retailer.
“We cater to them,” he said, adding that he employs older adults as bud tenders, or sales consultants, who help educate senior customers about the benefits of cannabis use and how to use the products effectively.
He said the senior customer base is growing as the age group becomes more comfortable with cannabis.
In addition to helping with pain management, many seniors find cannabis products help with insomnia, he said.
Cannabis and marijuana are general terms used to describe a group of plants known for their relaxing and calming effects. They can be smoked or consumed as gummies or other edibles.Two of the most well-known components of cannabis are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Experts say CBD won’t make you feel high and is often used for pain relief and may reduce inflammation. It’s also credited with relieving nausea and has other medical benefits.
THC has many of the same medical benefits as CBD and is responsible for the high associated with cannabis.
At a recent presentation at Baldwin House Senior Living in Clinton Township, Shirley McKernan was among a number of seniors eager to hear what Tucker Jasso had to say about the benefits of cannabis. Jasso is the founder of For the Love of Charlie, a licensed medical marijuana processing facility.
“I’m 88 years old,” McKernan told the crowd attending the presentation Wednesday afternoon. “I can walk down the stairs and I don’t get out of breath, but I get up every morning in pain.
“I just want to get rid of the pain,” said a teary-eyed McKernan, who was joined by at least a dozen other seniors with similar problems.
“Cannabis has become mainstream, and many of our residents have been asking how they can secure products in a convenient and safe environment,” said Robert Gillette, president and founder of Baldwin House, which scheduled presentations for their residents in both Macomb and Oakland counties, including in Clinton Township, Pontiac and Hazel Park.
“Cannabis also offers an excellent alternative to opioids and other prescription drugs,” he said.
Sharon Decker has arthritis in her wrist.
John Mucaria served in the U.S. Army and has problems with his knees.
Another veteran has a friend suffering from migraines.
All of the residents at the presentation wanted to know more about Jasso’s experience with cannabis and her company’s mission to improve the quality of life for mature adults, veterans and people with disabilities.
“I know a lot of people have preconceived notions about medical marijuana,” Jasso said. “I was one of those people until a few years ago.”
As she explained to the group, her first experience with cannabis occurred when a neighbor named Charlie was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given about a year to live.
“It’s a pretty hard cancer to go through, not only for the person who has it but the family too,” Jasso said, noting that Charlie and his wife were retired teachers who were once active and fit, so it was not uncommon for neighbors to see the two of them walking up and down the road or working somewhere on their 10 acres.
That is, until Charlie got sick.
As the months passed, Charlie’s condition worsened. He was not eating and he reached a point where he didn’t want to take the pain medication in order to have a clear mind during his final days.
It was then that Jasso asked his wife if Charlie had ever tried medical marijuana and after discussing it further, Jasso offered to find out more about it. A few calls later, Jasso connected with a caregiver licensed for medical marijuana who provided Charlie with medicated hard candies, lollipops and juice.
Three days later, his wife called and asked if they could get a refill as the products were controlling Charlie’s pain.
When Jasso arrived with the new supply, it was Charlie who answered the door. He greeted her in his pajamas and robe and reached out and hugged her.
Charlie’s cancer had progressed too far to be cured, but the cannabis took away his pain without leaving him high or in a vegetative state waiting to die.
He lived for six more weeks surrounded by his daughters and their families — who were all thankful to Jasso for her intervention.
“I wanted to be able to give that gift to other people,” Jasso said, of the company founded eight years ago.
Since then, she has worked with a network of caregivers helping others with chronic pain as well as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, hyper mobility, migraines and pulmonary hypertension, to name a few.
“I can’t tell you how many people have called me. ‘I’m not in a wheelchair anymore. I don’t have the pain I used to have,’” said Jasso, whose own aches and pains caused by her years in the rodeo circuit have been helped by holistic medicines. “It gives me goosebumps, makes me emotional just talking about it.”
However, during her presentation she made it clear that she doesn’t prescribe anything, nor is she trying to convince anyone of anything. “I’m just telling people what I know from my own experiences. Do your research. Find a company you can trust, and talk to your doctor.”
Millen, of the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, said some seniors use cannabis for the medical benefits, but some just want to get high.
“They’ll say, ‘This is fun. This is way better than the stuff we got in the ‘60s,’” he said.
A recent study by the University of Michigan found growing acceptance of medical marijuana among people ages 50-80.
They were asked, if they were faced with a serious health condition that could respond to marijuana, whether they would ask their health care provider about using cannabis products; 44% said they would definitely ask, and 26% said they would probably ask.
However, the survey showed that people in this age group believe prescription drugs provide better pain relief than cannabis.
There are drawbacks to cannabis use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Smoked marijuana can harm lung tissue and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels, the CDC says on its website.
Smoked marijuana delivers THC to the body, but it also delivers harmful substances, including many of the same toxins and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, which are harmful to the lungs and cardiovascular system.
More research is needed to understand the effects marijuana might have on lung and other respiratory cancers, the CDC said.
There is limited evidence of a link between current, frequent, or chronic marijuana smoking and testicular cancer, the CDC said.
One of the biggest dangers of cannabis use is the undocumented belief that it cures cancer, which may cause some people to skip or delay cancer treatment by medical professionals, the CDC said.
