As older people come to represent an emerging frontier in the use of marijuana for medical purposes, questions are being raised about safety and accessibility. “It's a bigger issue than we thought,” said a health policy expert. “This is an elephant we're just starting to get our hands on.”
From the New York Times:
A medical marijuana education and support club started by residents of Rossmoor Walnut Creek, a retirement community east of San Francisco, has grown to 530 members — so many that it has changed meeting rooms three times.
“I would be in a lot worse shape if I wasn't using cannabis, both physically and mentally,” said Anita Mataraso, 72, a grandmother of six who is the program director and takes marijuana daily for arthritis and nerve pain, among other ailments.
In the state of Washington, at least a dozen assisted living facilities have formal medical marijuana policies in response to demands from their residents, said Robin Dale, the executive director of the Washington Health Care Association.
Read Full Article »