Cannabis For Seniors: Don’t Be Afraid Of A Little Psychoactivity
By Susan Boskey
As a Cannabis Practitioner and Coach I often speak with seniors like myself. I can honestly say that many, if not most, are very interested to learn about cannabis and how they might use it for themselves medicinally.
Some have told me how they have had to deal with debilitating side effects from taking pharmaceutical drugs and don’t ever want to go through that again. Others are simply curious.
Good for them, I think. Many seniors are open to trying something new. In the next breath, however, almost inevitably someone will say, “But I don’t want to get high.”
Seniors who take a stand against not wanting to get high typically fall into two main categories: Either they have never taken a puff of marijuana in their entire life, or overdid it, big time, as Baby Boomers in their youth.
I get it.
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Non-psychoactive CBD offers many health benefits as I discuss here. The emphasis on CBD is largely due to its non-psychoactivity and the still-in-effect U.S. Government classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. Nonetheless, many states have allowed CBD commerce, and marketers have taken full advantage selling CBD and its benefits.
However, as a health practitioner, I find it incorrect to focus only on CBD.
For example, many people have developed the mindset of: CBD good – THC bad – which could not be farther from the truth. When studied as the medicinal plant it is, cannabis is understood for its multiple beneficial compounds along with their specific best use, including THC, proven as an:
- Anti-convulsant and appetite stimulant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-toxin
- Anti-anxiety
In keeping with the title of this article, I believe a little psychoactivity can increase the quality of life for seniors. Besides THC’s physical benefits, its value as an anti-anxiety medicine cannot be overstated.
How so? Therapeutically administered cannabis with some amount of THC allows us to briefly step outside of our everyday (default) pattern of thinking. With a bigger-picture view of our life’s issues and concerns, we discover the opportunity to consider a different way of looking at them. Why not get a new perspective and welcome sense of mental and emotional relief that calms us down? It’s possible and I hear the stories.
Plus, when THC is used responsibly in a formula with CBD, the CBD has the bio-chemical effect of making the THC less disorienting and much more manageable. That said, each individual must find their own ‘sweet spot’ of what works for them, and only 10 states and DC have so far legalized THC.
Oh, and by the way, laughing more once a little high might also be just what the doctor ordered!
Susan is a Certified Cannabis Coach and graduate of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with over 45 years of personal involvement in the spectrum of wellness modalities. Her mission today is to intervene in the noise of modern life to help her clients identify and remove stressors that trigger their dis-ease, and then to customize a care plan in consideration of what would be the best cannabis quality, strain, dose and delivery system for them. As a non-physician coach she enjoys the added flexibility of also providing protocols for simple lifestyle changes to augment the healing process. Visit her website: http://lifestylewellnessrx.com
Photo credit: Ben Gurion University
