Seniors and Cannabis: 10 good reasons to start

Old age is a wreck, some say ... If nothing replaces an active lifestyle, therapeutic cannabis is a good alternative to many medications prescribed to seniors (sleeping pills opiates), which meets with more and more success. Read this article to help your grandparents discover cannabis!

As we get older, aging-related health problems tend to increase. From joint and arthritic pain to loss of appetite and depression, to even more serious diseases such as failing organs and cancers, some aspects associated with aging can be an uncomfortable, hard-to-live experience. Seeking and choosing reliable and affordable methods to relieve, which meet personal needs and health plan preferences, is a decision that belongs to each individual.

Conventional medicine

Allopathy, ie conventional medicine, deals with the treatment of pain and disease with synthetic pharmaceuticals that are not only expensive but mask the symptoms of the diseases for which they are prescribed rather than to treat them or to really relieve them. This can have an additional detrimental effect on someone's physical health, delicate or otherwise. Natural holistic remedies are rarely recommended in the field of "Western medicine" and it is an unfortunate omission of homeopathic solutions that may be more suited to an individual's lifestyle and beliefs.

According to an article in USA Todaypublished in May 2014, since 2012, more than 55 million prescriptions for opioids and other painkillers have been prescribed for Americans aged 65 and over. Similarly, the number of prescriptions issued in the United States for benzodiazepine drugs to treat anxiety-related disorders is estimated at 28 million per year for the elderly. If you consider the number of similar prescriptions issued in the world, it's amazing! Not only do these medications make them very dependent, but they can quite easily (even unintentionally) lead to accidental overdose or death. Misuse and over prescription of pharmaceuticals is irresponsible and unnecessary. Prescription statistics are staggering and tragic, when there are safe and natural remedies,

Cannabis helps

Let's face it, opiate addiction in the United States continues to grow at an alarming rate; it is becoming a critical health problem with serious consequences. In the US states that currently allow legal access to medical cannabis, countless patients have used it responsibly and successfully for many years to treat pain, nausea, tissue inflammation, and multitude of other symptoms associated with aging. While people believe that the majority of grass consumers are in a younger age group, seniors are increasingly turning to medical cannabis as a viable cure for pain relief and to help manage symptoms accompanying anxiety.

A study published in August 2014 by JAMA Internal Medicine shows that cannabis use can help people reduce their dependence and abuse of opioid-based painkillers. The JAMA study also found that opioid-related deaths declined in 13 states, soon after they legalized cannabis use, compared to states that do not have formal access to medical cannabis. In addition, states that have allowed some patients legal access to cannabis have experienced a steady decline in opioid overdoses, an average of six years after the medical cannabis laws took effect. Come on, let's fight against addiction!

For several generations and in many cultures, individuals have learned that cannabis is dangerous; a risky and habit-forming drug. Recent studies and statistics currently prove the opposite. With the present knowledge showing the various advantages of cannabis, the reality is returning to light-weight round the world. Let's forget the myth currently. Legally, cannabis continues to be thought-about associate prohibited drug; but, there's a full of life crusade, that is gaining ground round the world to vary this level of classification. All the positive facts disclosed by the studies and current analysis can sure enough facilitate support the amendment in favor of legitimation and revise the obsolete image of this effective medicative plant.

 Seniors and cannabis: Ten interesting facts to consider

1. You do not have to smoke it!
2. There are many ways to ingest medical cannabis and many cannabis products are available. As a rule, when used as a recreational drug, cannabis is smoked. However, modern medical purpose products can be ingested. Or swallowed in pill form, mixed with beverages such as dye, applied to the skin as a cream or lotion, or inhaled as a vapor . Some without the psychoactive effects associated with the plant.

2. Relief of pain

Cannabis has long been known to reduce pain as well, see more effectively, as synthetic prescription drugs. Clinical trials have proven this over and over again. Cannabis-infused ointments are very effective in relieving arthritis and pain associated with neuropathies. Handcrafted, "boutique" style of medicated creams has become very popular and represents an effective remedy for joint and muscle pain.

3. Relief of muscle tension

Tested and proven many times, cannabis has valuable anti-inflammatory properties. Whether you smoke it, eat it, or apply it locally on the skin, its ability to relax the muscles is obvious. An abstract from a recent study by the National Institute of Health indicates that cannabis has been widely used in ancient medicine to treat and cure bowel disorders and inflammations. A follow-up study is planned to prove that ancient civilizations were on track with the use of cannabis treatments for what we now know as Crohn's disease, a serious and painful inflammatory disease affecting the digestive system.

4. The treatment of arthritis

Studies consistently show that cannabis is useful and effective in treating the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) -This is one of the diseases for which many states allow its legal medical use. Cannabis can improve range of motion and mobility, as well as reduce stiffness caused by inflammation of the joints. Research has also shown that patients are able to successfully reduce their potentially harmful doses of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), through the use of medical cannabis or other cannabis-based products, as a treatment. extra.

5. It's healthier than most commonly prescribed medications

The number of seniors who use prescription drugs on a daily basis is unnecessarily increasing every year. Prescription drugs can cause damage to organs, tissues, chemical addiction and even death ... On the other hand, cannabis does not cause organ damage and is not toxic, as are drugs. The side effects of the product are insignificant by comparison. No deaths or overdoses related to cannabis have ever been documented and its powerful benefits provide relief to a multitude of diseases and disorders. Another benefit: medical cannabis is an affordable option-a particularly important point for low-income seniors.

6. It does not make it physically dependent

People of all ages, not just the elderly, are afraid to become addicted if they consume cannabis. People who make daily medical use can easily do a sudden withdrawal, without adverse effects. The side effects of stopping cannabis, if any, are quite mild, similar to those of stopping the consumption of products containing caffeine such as coffee, tea or soda. People who seek to relieve chronic pain or regular anxiety attacks, can use cannabis regularly, safely, without the risk of becoming addicted. Conversely, the risk of accidental overdose of continuous prescription drug use is a reality. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC - the Center for Disease Control,

7. It can reduce (or even replace) the need for prescription drugs

With respect to prescription drugs, seniors are mainly complaining that the number of pills prescribed by doctors can multiply over time. One pill is often prescribed to counteract the side effects of another pill, then another pill, yet another, and so on ... This is the snowball effect of the over prescription of pharmaceutical drugs, which becomes counterproductive and even harmful. The healing properties of cannabis target the same symptoms as synthetic drugs (inflammation of the joints, high blood pressure, chronic pain, digestive disorders, constipation, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, cognitive awareness etc.).

8. There are many different strains - some without psychoactive effects

Cannabis is offered in many different forms or "strains" each with unique attributes. Some strains provide relief from chronic pain; others help to focus and have energy; others help relieve insomnia to ensure a good night's rest. It is important to know that not all strains of cannabis produce the "high" felt by some people, a feature that older people may fear or want to avoid. Medical cannabis strains area unit cultivated to produce negligible psychedelic effects, if at all. Cannabidiol-or CBD-is the substance at the supply of the large healing properties of this plant. It has been proven that CBD relieves pain, stimulates the growth of new bone tissue, suppresses muscle spasms, relieves anxiety, increases mental focus and reduces tissue inflammation. New strains without psychoactive effects allow patients to be relieved daily without spending their day in a state of "stoned".

9. Not cause brain damage or a decrease in IQ 

A common misconception about cannabis use is that it can potentially lower the consumer's intelligence level or cause brain damage. There is no evidence or documentation supporting this theory. In fact, a study published in September 2014 in the  Journal of Psychopharmacology(Journal of Psychopharmacology) proves the exact opposite: Daily treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) has resulted in an improvement in the well-being and quality of living standards of a group of patients with Parkinson's disease. Similar studies with patients with Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease indicate that cannabis use may promote new neuronal pathways, allowing a gradual cessation of degeneration and damage to brain tissue in patients with impaired brain function. It can even improve the level of brain function over time.

10. It is an effective appetite stimulant

A common risk to health, dangerous in the elderly is the gradual loss of appetite that can lead to weight loss, tissue damage and reduce mental clarity. Medical cannabis has been shown to stimulate appetite and is beneficial in relieving nausea.

So here is ! Seniors become the fastest-growing medical cannabis consumer in the United States and it works well for them! We all deserve to be comfortable in the senior years without causing further damage to our aging bodies. We owe it to ourselves to explore the benefits of medical cannabis and manage our health in a natural, non-toxic way with a safe, 

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