In this conversation, Dr. Igor Grant and Dr. Alison Moore discuss the increasing prevalence of cannabis use among older adults, the reasons behind this trend, and the medical applications of cannabis. She highlights the complexities of cannabis use, including its association with comorbid conditions and the challenges in educating both healthcare providers and patients about its safe use. The conversation emphasizes the need for more research and better education in the field of geriatric care regarding cannabis.

Takeaways

• Alison Moore is the Chief of Geriatrics at UC San Diego.

• Cannabis use among older adults is increasing.

• Reasons for cannabis use include pain, sleep issues, and anxiety.

• Older adults often use cannabis for medical purposes.

• The prevalence of cannabis use in older adults varies by survey.

• Long-term users tend to prefer smoking, while newer users prefer edibles.

• Cannabis use is linked to comorbid conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

• Education on cannabis use is lacking among healthcare providers.

• Patients often receive cannabis information from non-medical sources.

• There is a need for more research on cannabis effects in older adults.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:00 Prevalence and Reasons for Cannabis Use

03:56 Medical Applications and User Experiences

06:41 What Types of Products Are Older Adults Using?

08:32 Cannabinoids and Behaviors in Older Adults

11:40 Cannabis as a Treatment for Dementia Symptoms

13:54 Risk/Benefit for Clinicians Recommending Cannabis

14:38 Different Risks for Different Methods of Use

16:14 Pharmacokinetics of Different Methods of Use

16:45 Sources of Products for Older Adults

19:37 The Stigma of Cannabis Disclosure

20:48 Complexities of Cannabis and Alcohol Use

25:08 Educating Physicians on Cannabis

26:57 Advice for Patients Considering Cannabis

29:58 Understanding Cannabis Use Disorder

32:07 Inhalation vs. Oral Cannabis Use

33:31 Final Thoughts on Cannabis Education

36:16 Outro

Bio

Alison A. Moore, MD, MPH, FACP, AGSF, is a Professor and Chief of the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care, and Director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the Center for Healthy Aging. She holds the Larry L. Hillblom Chair in Geriatric Medicine. She is a geriatrician who provides primary and consultative care to older adults and a public health researcher whose work focuses principally on older adults with unhealthy substance use. She also has interests in healthy aging, gerontechnology, health equity, and aging and HIV. Dr. Moore has a passion for health equity; she was the inaugural Vice Chair for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine. She is equally passionate about mentorship; in 2019, she was awarded the UC San Diego Health Sciences Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award. She is MPI of an NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (P30AG059299) and has been the recipient of a K24 Midcareer Award in Patient-Oriented Research from NIAAA (K24AA15957). She is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Geriatrics Society and is currently its President-elect.