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The following is a summary of “Effects of medical cannabis use on physical and psychiatric symptoms across the day among older adults,” published in the September 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Dvorak et al.
More older adults are using medical cannabis, but it is not clear if its benefits lead to problematic use patterns.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study assessing the change in symptoms throughout the day and how these changes might predict problematic use.
They recruited 106 older adults (aged 55-74) with approved medical conditions for medical cannabis. Over 15 days, participants received 6 daily text messages to track their symptoms.
The results showed that participants provided 5,156 assessments over 1,106 days. All symptoms generally decreased after cannabis use throughout the day. Negative affect, pain, and nausea showed momentary negative reinforcement with intoxication. This negative reinforcement was linked to worse cannabis outcomes. Decreases in post-use trauma and negative reinforcement effects for negative affect were related to symptoms of cannabis use disorder.
Investigators concluded that while medical cannabis may help reduce symptoms, its negative reinforcement effect could complicate its benefits. Finding ways to enhance benefits and reduce risks could improve its effectiveness and safety for older adults.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178124003408
