Medical Cannabis for Over-65s: Age-Specific Guide

Why Age Matters in Prescribing

• Older adults may experience cannabis effects differently due to changes in metabolism and polypharmacy
• Start low, go slow is even more critical in older patients
• Fall risk is an important safety consideration — dizziness and sedation are more impactful
• Drug interactions are more common due to higher prescription medication burden in older adults

Medical cannabis can be highly effective in older adults with chronic pain, arthritis, and sleep disorders — but age-specific considerations make specialist assessment essential.

Commonly Treated Conditions and Safety

• Osteoarthritis pain — one of the most common presentations in over-65s at cannabis clinics
• Neuropathic pain from diabetic neuropathy or post-herpetic neuralgia
• Insomnia and sleep fragmentation — highly responsive to cannabis in this age group
• Safety: avoid high-THC in fall-risk patients; start CBD-dominant; dose exclusively at bedtime initially
• Cardiovascular monitoring: THC can cause temporary heart rate increases — relevant in cardiac patients

Older adults with chronic pain represent a large and underserved group for whom cannabis may provide meaningful benefit with less dependency risk than opioids.