Be’er-Sheva, Israel: The use of herbal cannabis by older patients is efficacious and well-tolerated, according to longitudinal data published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Israeli researchers assessed the use of cannabis products in patients ages 65 or older over a period of 18 months. Participants in the trial suffered from cancer, chronic pain, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress, spasticity, and other ailments.
Of those patients who continued the use of medical cannabis for six-months or more, 79 percent reported either "significant" or "moderate improvement" from the treatment. The most commonly reported side effects of cannabis treatment were dizziness, fatigue, and dry mouth.
Authors concluded, "Our results show that cannabis was well tolerated by most of our patients… [and that] most of the patients were satisfied with the treatment."
The findings are consistent with those of prior trials – such as those here and here – similarly finding that cannabis preparations are safe and effective for elderly patients.
Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis for older patients – Treatment protocol and initial results," appears in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.