The cannabis plant with its different components (cannabinoids as they are scientifically known) has been proven to carry a plethora of medicinal benefits. In late years, we have come to know which exactly of these cannabinoids is responsible for most of these benefits. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the non-psychoactive component of cannabis that we attribute most of the medicinal uses of marijuana to. A huge number of diseases are now being prescribed CBD extracts for pain relief and other forms of treatment, and people who regularly use CBD-rich strains of marijuana have been reporting less vulnerability to several diseases and ailments. There is one demographic segment that was late to catch up on the uses of CBD: seniors. Although seniors have lately started to increasingly realize how beneficial CBD could be to their many forms of pain, the many benefits that substance has to offer them went unnoticed for a long time. That is quite bizarre too, seeing as how seniors more than perhaps any other groups have a lot to gain from CBD treatment.
So, how can CBD help seniors? Here is a list of 5 major health difficulties that seniors often experience and that CBD has proven capable of remedying.
Reduction of pain and inflammation
CBD was found a long time ago to cause relief for pains caused by arthritis, neuropathy, spasticity, Crohn’s disease, ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as numerous types of cancer. Moreover, the recurrent headaches and migraines experienced by most seniors can also be prevented using CBD.
Sufferers of diseases like atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, spinal cord injuries, as well as injuries suffered after medical operations, are now being prescribed CBD for its anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects. We can also add Hepatitis C and lupus to the list of diseases prevalent among seniors and whose patients benefit from CBD’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative benefits.
Bones
A common symptom of aging is the decrease in bone density, which is followed by a proneness to get osteoporosis which in turn makes seniors vulnerable to bone fractures. Women over 50 are even more vulnerable than men in this regard due to the crackdown on bone tissues that comes with menopause. That makes CBD crucial for seniors in both a preventive and a curative sense. CBD was found to halt the damage of bone tissues. Not only that, it was even discovered to trigger the renewal of these tissues as well as bone growth. These effects combined lead to the increase of bone density that the elderly very much need. Moreover, CBD extracts work perfectly to counter muscle and bone pains.
Sleep Difficulties
Many seniors experience difficulties falling asleep, sleeping for long hours, or generally maintaining healthy sleep patterns. The hazardous effect of that on seniors is that inconsistent sleep paired with age stimulate neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, along with many other possible diseases. The benefits of CBD in this regard are manifold. Firstly, unlike pharmaceutical sleep aids, CBD actually enhances alertness and wakefulness throughout the day. However, CBD works as a sleeping aid only when consumed early in the day. It was reported to enable sleep for longer hours which makes it suitable for someone suffering insomnia. CBD also treats some of the most common causes of insomnia like stress and anxiety, therefore hitting the ailment at its roots. Anxiety and distress are highly common among seniors and might be intensified by their physical pain. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, CBD is a much safer alternative to pharmaceutical drugs in general and sleep aid in particular. This takes us to the next point.
The Reduction of Pharmaceutical Drug Consumption
It is no longer news that excessive use of pharmaceutical drugs can be quite destructive to a person’s body. This is something that especially seniors can testify to. Because old people are prescribed countless amounts of pharmaceuticals for the various age-related diseases they endure, many of them end up in a loop of drugs that cause them side effects that they are prescribed new drugs to treat and so on. By using CBD to treat the ailments mentioned above as well as many others that they suffer, a lot of seniors have lately been able to lay off, or at least reduce, their consumption of dangerous pharmaceutical drugs.
There are many reasons why replacing pharmaceutical drugs with CBD products leaves patients way better off. First of all, CBD (or any other marijuana-based substance for that matter) cannot be addictive. Unlike many pharmaceutical drugs, especially those used to treat psychological difficulties or insomnia, the withdrawal symptoms of CBD are as mild as those of quitting caffeine. Second, CBD has little to no side effects, which anyone who has any experience with long-term use of pharmaceuticals knows is not the case with the latter. A person weighing 140 pounds would require north of 4 pounds of marijuana to be consumed all in one day to reach the point of toxicity, according to a recent study.
Appetite Enhancement
Many seniors tend to experience appetite loss as they grow in age, which can lead to mental and psychological issues, their tissues growing more delicate and consequently weak, as well as weight loss with all its hazardous consequences. Marijuana has been known for long to be an appetite stimulant. That applies particularly to its CBD component. However, CBD’s appetite-related effects are not confined to increasing appetite. It generally brings about healthier nutritional behavior, meaning that albeit an appetite stimulant, it does not cause excessive food consumption. The American Journal of Epidemiology recently found in one of its studies that obesity occurred one-third less frequently among regular marijuana consumers (at least three times a week) in comparison to those who have never consumed the plant at all.
Are there safe ways for seniors to use CBD?
Because smoking CBD-rich marijuana strains is probably not the best method for seniors to consume CBD, dispensaries have lately been producing alternatives that are safer for seniors to use. That includes oil, edibles like CBD-infused gummy bears, and tinctures that they could place under their tongues.