As cannabis use grows among older Americans, Stanford Medicine experts are warning that today's marijuana products are far more powerful than many people realize, and they may come with significant health risks.
Eloise Theisen never expected to become a specialist in medical cannabis. Now a geriatric nurse practitioner focused on cannabis therapy at Stanford Medicine, she first turned to cannabis herself after a severe car accident left her with chronic pain that other treatments failed to relieve.
When she later returned to work in an oncology clinic, she noticed many patients were already using cannabis or considering it, often without guidance from medical professionals.
"I found that our patients were going to use it whether their providers approved of it or not," Theisen said. "Many of our patients were older, and they had risks that needed to be evaluated and addressed before they started using cannabis."
Cannabis Use Is Rising Among Older Adults
