News
Grandma and Grandpa need some relief too.
As we’ve been saying for quite some time, seniors are the fastest-growing group of new cannabis consumers in the US. But a new study that looked at marijuana consumers across Colorado suggests a growing number of Americans aged 65 and older are using cannabis regularly both for medical and recreational purposes. Among those in the study who say they use it medicinally, the majority appear to be self-medicating.
One reason older people are turning to cannabis is because it can soothe the symptoms of problems like arthritis, Parkinson’s, and chronic pain. But a study published this month in the journal Drugs & Aging, found that a lack of research, unclear communication with doctors, and a reluctance to be honest about its use due to stigma, are all stopping older people getting the products they need.
“From a physician’s standpoint this study shows the need to talk to patients in a non-judgmental way about cannabis,” said one of the study’s co-authors. “Doctors should also educate themselves about the risks and benefits of cannabis and be able to communicate that effectively to patients.”
If you aren’t sure what to make of this, you aren’t alone
A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder in Frontiers in Public Health finds that 80% of cannabis smokers mix the drug with their workouts. The same study goes as far as suggesting the mixture may be beneficial for some.
Keep it Safe, Colorado
Denver has developed a food safety and sanitation class for manufacturers, cultivation facilities, and centers/stores.
Headlines
Pain Relief
Chronic pain is the most common reason people give when they enroll in state-approved medical marijuana programs. That’s followed by stiffness from multiple sclerosis and chemotherapy-related nausea, according to an analysis of 15 states published Monday in the journal Health Affairs.
Members in the News
Colorado Leads member LivWells buys a Fort Collins Infinite Wellness Center
Willie’s Remedy
Willie Nelson officially launched his brand Willie’s Remedy and its first product: coffee infused with “certified organic, full-spectrum hemp oil grown in Colorado.”
Headlines
Vetoed Autism Bill Returns
A bill – similar to the one vetoed last year by then-Gov. John Hickenlooper – that would allow Coloradans with autism to use medical marijuana cleared its first legislative hurdle last week.
A Cannabis Oasis
The only two adult-use cannabis shops in El Paso County are a financial boon to Manitou Springs. Mayor Ken Jaray said a recent project to bury cable lines previously suspended on telephone poles would not have been possible without the taxes the city brings in from the two shops. The fund the city uses for these types of projects, its Urban Renewal Authority, climbed from an average of $34,000 a year before recreational marijuana, to $1.2 million in 2016.
Coast to Coast
There isn’t as much gold as expected coming out of the Golden State. California is expected to collect $630 million less in revenue than what Gov. Jerry Brown projected in his last budget. There is so much marijuana being manufactured (15.5 million pounds) that the state now has far more surplus than it actually consumes (2.5 million pounds).
On the other side of the country, people suffering from opioid addiction now qualify for medical marijuana in New Jersey.
Headlines
Wipe low-level marijuana convictions clean?
That’s what The Denver Post editorial board proposes, noting that laws have “adapted to meet the realization dawning over America that marijuana is a relatively safe drug.”
Cause for concern?
What President Trump’s pick for AG could mean for the marijuana industry.
Cannabis and Alzheimer’s
Harvard’s McLean Psychiatric Hospital is partnering with Spier Family Foundation to research the potential benefits.
Following the money
As legalization spreads, the Associated Press looks at which U.S. companies are getting into on the marijuana industry.
Eagle County leads statewide mental health funding trend
When Eagle County voters approved a 2017 ballot measure instituting sales and excise taxes on marijuana products with the proceeds dedicated to mental health services, they may have started a movement in Colorado
Body of research quelling fears about legal cannabis continues to grow
As the number of states and countries legalizing marijuana grows, so too does the research into the potential effects on society. The common theme: legal cannabis isn’t contributing to society’s ills. It may even be helping.
One of the biggest concerns – and misconceptions – has been about the dangers of driving under the influence and what opponents contended was a rise in DUIs because of legal adult cannabis use. But a first-ever study from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice shows the majority of Coloradans suspected of driving under the influence in 2016 had been drinking, but only a small fraction had used marijuana.
Another study set to be published in October found that workplace deaths dropped in states that had legalized cannabis. The researchers analyzed federal Department of Labor statistics, finding that the numbers backed the theory that if people use marijuana as an alternative to alcohol or painkillers, the risk of impairment on the job could be lower.