Do any caregivers have knowledge or experience in medical marijuana with a prescription from a Dr. for Alzheimers or other geriatric disease?

Marijuana is legal in our state, both medical and recreational.

When my father had cancer and couldn't sleep we tried both the CBD (without the high) and regular (THC) in edible form. The CBD didn't help, and the THC high was uncomfortable for him. However I know that for many people, the CBD helps a lot. For Seniors you could get it in tincture or edible form, which would probably be the easiest. You do have to be careful with dosing though, as effects with edibles aren't felt for 1-2 hours. If you were to try it on your own I would think start REALLY small and monitor closely. You might try it yourself just to understand more about what to expect.

From what I understand, one of the largest groups of users of MJ at the recreational stores are seniors looking to find substitute for other heavier duty pain relievers. My sister had gone into one store, just to see what it was about, and a tour bus from a senior facility was just leaving. And I believe in places where it has been legalized opiod use has dropped.

If it is legal in your state, you might want to find a naturopath who can give you some guidance. THat's what we did with my Dad. Since it isn't legal federally, many/most MDs don't want to give any guidance on this. And I expect that a Senior Facility would have the same problem.

I myself use MJ sometimes for sleep. I use a tincture that is mostly CBD, but with a little bit of THC also. I fall asleep before I feel any high. I find that CBD by itself just doesn't work as well.

Good luck. Because of the federal ban, there are no good scientific studies as to effectiveness, side effects, best dosages, etc. Which is a shame. So you pretty much have to good search and try it on your own carefully.

Check out these threads on the Alzheimer's website
alzconnected.org/discussion.aspx?g=search

Medical cannabis is legal in Canada; recreational cannabis is about to become legal. I live in BC where it might as well be legal because you can smell it just about everywhere, lol.

I don't have experience specifically with a senior's facility, but I can tell you that my mom has used it successfully for pain and nausea.

My mom has end stage renal (kidney) disease, some dementia, and lifelong depression. In the spring she had been falling down A LOT (which is the main reason I started staying with her). Several bad falls left her in very bad pain, in addition to the pain and nausea from dialysis. She can't take ANY painkillers except acetaminophen (Tylenol). No ibuprofen, no naproxen. The only opioids kidney patients can take are morphine or fentanyl, which are not every day drugs and would have whacked her out completely.

She was in so much pain I signed her up with the medical cannabis dispensary. She was given 2 different oil tinctures with combinations of THC/CBD: a 1:4 (THC:CBD) for regular use, and a 1:1 for more severe pain. The oil tinctures are given by dropper under the tongue for best absorbtion. (It's also available as tiny "seed" pills that work the same way.) The 1:4 did not give mom a "buzz," but the 1:1 did.

This medical journal article talks about renal disease and medical marijuana: advancedholistichealth.org/PDF_Files/Chronic%20Kidney%20Disease

The main restriction for kidney patients is they are booted off the transplant list for a year if they test positive for marijuana, as it's still seen as a recreational drug. However my mom is not on any transplant lists.

Mom doesn't use it anymore, but she doesn't fall down anymore either.  I can't say the oils cured her of falling!  I'm more likely to say having me around to monitor meds and nutrition and to assist her helped with that.   

CBD is the part that does NOT get people high. It does provide SOME relief from inflammation, as well as treating anxiety and other mood issues, and nausea. THC IS the part that gets people high. It also provides much stronger pain relief. So we used the 1:4 on a regular basis until she got better after her falls, and the 1:1 when her pain was really bad. The dose was 5 ml of oil tincture under the tongue, twice daily. The THC does give her a buzz, but we never used it that much. It did provide her with much greater relief than the Tylenol ever did, and also improved her mood and reduced her nausea. I have nothing else but Tylenol and Gravol to compare it to though.

When you buy illegal marijuana, it's almost always just the bud of the plant, aka THC - there's usually little to no CBD content. The CBD is important because it counteracts the psychoactive aspects of THC, i.e.: where THC can cause anxiety, paranoia, and other psychological reactions, this is much less likely to happen when mixed with CBD. This is partly what they mean when they say illegal pot is stronger than in the '60s and '70s - it's bred to be stronger, but it also doesn't contain anything but bud. Since the quality of illegal marijuana is unregulated, buying it is generally not a good idea for the treatment of medical symptoms unless the person has tried it already and knows how they are affected. I read a stat somewhere that about a third of people who've tried marijuana have had negative psychological reactions to the THC.

I actually take CBD for anxiety myself, as does a friend (who recommended it to me). I went this route because I tried pharmaceutical meds for anxiety and they wound up making it worse. I can tell you that CBD does work very well for my anxiety but does not make me high or give any kind of buzz. I have past experience with recreational (illegal) marijuana - it does make my anxiety much worse and triggers paranoia and panic attacks. Since starting CBD I've found I can ingest a LITTLE bit of THC without problem - I'd probably say a 1:2-1:3 (THC:CBD) ratio would be the most I could stand before my anxiety was triggered. I tried mom's 1:1 but it was too much for me.

CBD doesn't work at all to reduce pain for me. However, it MAY reduce pain in some people - there is evidence that some physical pain may have a connection to mood disorders like depression and anxiety (for example, fibromyalgia). So if you treat the mood disorder, you also treat the pain. CBD can be very helpful with mood disorders.

There is some new research that medical cannabis may help with dementia. The workers at the dispensary also tell me that many seniors use it successfully to treat arthritis pain. It's proven invaluable to those battling cancer, in terms of treating pain, nausea, and appetite problems. I do believe it's a lot safer than many of the pharmaceuticals used to treat problems.

But I'd also say make sure you acquire it from a licensed dispensary that sources their products from licensed, regulated growers. There are a few sources that sell products basically made in someone's kitchen - so totally unregulated. For example, CBD/THC is usually suspended in grape seed oil, so you want to see the CBD/THC content clearly labelled in milligrams per millilitre, or whatever measurements are used in your area. Not all oils are the same (some have more or less mg per ml than others), so this is also important in knowing how much product to ingest. (The CBD I use is 15 mg per 30 ml.)  And if you are buying a mixed product, you also want to clearly see the ratio of THC:CBD (i.e.: 1:1, 1:4) on the label.  (You can also buy CBD oil and THC oil separately and mix them yourself.)  Some strains of cannabis have different effects as well (for example, some strains induce sleepiness), so you want knowledgeable dispensary staff to be able to tell you which is better for the symptoms you are treating.

Unless they are so severe they are bedridden anyway and ready to die, Don't do it--because people with Alzheimer's have severe balance problems even without medications. Taking marijuana will only make balance and falling much worse and may even exaggerate confusion especially when combined with infection. Any kind of psychotropics increases the risk of falling. Pot is indeed a psychotropic.  Another school of thought is someone on Alzheimer's chances of death is increased:  There is no cure for Alzheimer's except death and most will die from either falling (a complication of pot) or pneumonia (if they stay in bed more due to the relaxation of pot, they will catch pneumonia). 

No. CBD is not a psychotropic. Unless your definition of psychotropic is literally that which works on the mind, in which case you better include Tylenol and every other painkiller under that definition, since that's how painkillers work. CBD does not get you high and does not worsen balance or confusion. 

THC is the part of the marijuana plant that gets you high, if thats what you mean.  Getting high may cause balance and confusion problems.  The question was about CBD hemp products.  THC and CBD are two different things.  CBD can be and is separated from THC for medical use. THC can also be separated from CBD for medical use.  CBD and THC may also be used in combination. 

Every patient will react differently. It can help with pain, mood, and nausea considerably. But in older people, it can also impact cognitive ability and cause issues. In others, I've read it can actually help ease cognitive issues.

When someone you love is suffering, you do just about anything you can to help them. If it can possibly help, I think it's worth trying.

While I kind of knew those basics your explanation and info on all of this is greatly appreciated Dorianne. You are clear, thorough and honest and I learn a lot. Thank you

MJ is not legal in my state. I happen to know A LOT of people who travel to the neighboring state where it IS legal to get something for mom or dad who are suffering. My young neighbor has Grave's Disease, which can be very painful. She will smoke a joint outside in her backyard and has apologized to me for the smell--well, I don't find it offensive at all and it breaks my heart that she is basically breaking a law in order to have the pain relief she needs.

If this ever becomes legal in my state (and it never, ever, ever will) I wouldn't hesitate to use it for pain relief if it worked. Having chronic pain is such a life altering issue--you base everything you do or don't do off how you are feeling. Trying to get anything stronger than Tylenol #3---impossible now. I'm not looking fwd to my arthritic old age at all!!

Let's see....

Marijuana makes you lose your memory.

Alzheimer's makes you lose your memory.

Sounds like the left wing tree hugger pot smoker hackey sack player disc golfer jam band diggers are in charge of the government now.

I will tell you my experience with CBD oil.

I am 81 and I take CBD oil for debilitating back and hip pain. I did not get a doctor's prescription, although I let all my docs know I am taking it. You do not need a prescription for it. Actually, my integrative MD and my chiropractor recommend it and sell it in their clinic. It is considered a supplement. It is available without a prescription in almost every state.

Legally, it can contain a maximum of 0.3% THC. That is an incredibly tiny amount and I feel no high at all. What it does is relieve the pain and it is mildly relaxing, and that's all. I sleep well at night. I buy an oil (aka "tincture") online from a company that sends a sample from each batch of their oils to an independent lab for testing for potency and for pesticides/herbicides/contaminants. I want a clean and honest product. There is an incredibly huge amount of JUNK out there. Beware of that!

Because I have significant pain and do not want to take opioids, I take a fairly high dose of 25-35 mg of pure CBD twice a day. Dorianne said the product she takes is 15 mg per 30 ml. 30 ml is 1 oz, and that means 1 ml (about a dropper full) would have only 1/2 mg of CBD in it, that is just a smidgen -- not very much at all. Her whole bottle has about the amount of CBD that I take each morning. If that amount works for her, that is wonderful. For my pain, it would not work.

Just for comparison, I have a 60 ml bottle (2 oz) that contains 3000 mg of CBD. There are 60 servings of 1 ml (50 mg) each in the bottle. I take 1/2 serving twice a day. The retail price on this is $110, although I qualify for a disability discount. This is one of the less expensive brands while still having a stellar reputation for quality.

So it all depends on level of pain; some people need less and some take a lot more than I do. Even with a high dose, it does not make me sleepy or dizzy, just pain free and relaxed.

A seriously big warning: there are a lot of ripoff junk CBD oils out there. If anyone is interested in taking this product, you MUST do your homework, and research carefully the quality of the product including independent lab test results which should be available to you. If they are not, go elsewhere to buy. If you are in a legal state, you might want to go to a highly rated dispensary. If not, some vape or smoke shops carry a couple brands. In any case, learn all you can before spending your money. The price does NOT guarantee quality, unfortunately.

Good quality CBD oil is made from the whole hemp plant, NOT from hemp seed. Hemp seed oil is an entirely different (food) product and does not contain CBD, although some dishonest companies try to pass it off as CBD. It really is a situation of "buyer beware."

One other important point: if you decide to try CBD oil, start slow and increase slowly. It can cause headaches at first if you take too much. Your body will adapt rather quickly and the relief from pain is wonderful.

I hope this helped you learn a little more about CBD oil. Blessings.

Forget medical marijuana and stick to CBD. It's non-psychoactive. I take Not Pot's "This is Not Pot."

CBD is best known for reducing inflammation (and thus pain from inflammation). It's not a cure though. It won't fix the underlying reason for inflammation if for example the inflammation is due to nutritional deficiencies or a messed up microbiome.

In regard to Alzheimer's, healthy fats--such as fatty fish, coconuts, and avocados--are good for the brain. The nutritional drinks that many caregivers give their patients who can't consume whole foods are absolutely horrific and should be avoided at all costs. They contain high amounts of maltodextrin or corn syrup, which is very pro-inflammatory and harmful to the brain. You can make juices and smoothies with coconuts, avocados, leafy greens, cucumbers, celery, berries, ... They taste good and are filled with nutrients.

CBD might improve brain plasticity.

If you use the V.A. any trace of pot and they will cancel your V.A. . The reason is the U.S.A. has not legalized it.

Dorianne,
Excellent informative matter of fact answer! Thank you.

As a side comment, I think this is a place where all preconceived notions, political views and opinions about the general use of MJ are not applicable, so critics should be tailored to what is being discussed.

I personally have never used it recreationally or medically, YET if I knew it could help my mom or anyone else in pain, or with any other health challenge that could be improved through the appropriate use of MJ I’d not hesitate to go for it. It’s not legal where we are, not even medically, but when I see my mother in tremendous pain, I wish that was an option for us!

Suzy - I appreciate that information! I guess that explains why my CBD oil works on my anxiety but not my pain, lol.

Subduedjoy - are you talking about products like Ensure? That's what my mom has been told to drink, and I've been making milkshakes and smoothies with that (and protein powder) for my mom....because Ensure on its own is gross. But maybe I will just skip the Ensure if it's making her worse!

Rosses - I agree. Being brought up in British Columbia, where marijuana, and especially medical marijuana, is just....part of the culture....it seems so strange to me that such a useful medicine still gets discussed in political terms elsewhere.  Yet as far as its value, it's FAR safer than opioids, and frankly, gets you much less "high" even if you ARE using THC.   I can't imagine my mother whacked out on prescription fentanyl.  She would be completely out of it.  On medical cannabis, she just eats more doughnuts. :-D

My friend uses MJ oil on her disabled 2 year old. it helps her clonic seizures.

Oh that's interesting, Llamalover. Is it CBD oil or does it have THC in it?

I ask because there is a long-term study showing an association between teenagers using THC and teenagers having mental illnesses like schizophrenia later in life, possibly because their brains are still developing - you might want to make your friend aware of it, anyway:

health.harvard.edu/blog/teens-who-smoke-pot-at-risk-for-later-schizophrenia-psychosis-201103071676

(The full study below - I have not read it, only passing it along.)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4412685/

One of my friends has a son (now in his late 20s) with schizophrenia.  And he did smoke a great deal of illegal weed in his teens.  There is also a family history of schizophrenia there, so no way of knowing for sure....correlation is not necessarily causation. 

There has actually been a lot of discussion around restricting it to those over 25 in Canada when it becomes legal.

cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/marijuana-ottawa-public-health-1.3800547

CNN had a documentary a few years ago (2013?) about using medical cannabis to treat uncontrolled seizures in toddlers and children, Wikipedia has an article on the strain called Charlotte's Web which was featured.

Oh cool! I didn't know that cwillie.

This is why info-sharing threads are so important! :-)

Hi Dorianne,

Yes. Ensure contains maltodextrin (a starch sugar), which has an extremely high glycemic index. In fact, it's glycemic index is the highest among all sweeteners. It's extremely pro-inflammatory.

I'm on a very low sugar/carbohydrate diet, and I just did my first triathlon in November. The reason Ensure contains maltodextrin is not for nutrition. It's because maltodextrin is very addictive.

Again, CBD is non-psychoactive. It's the THC that's psychoactive. I take Not Pot's "This is Not Pot" and feel nothing. In fact, if you are looking to get high, then you will be very disappointed with "This is Not Pot."

Subduedjoy,
Now I’m concerned because after my mom went through multiple rounds of chemo, Herceptin and radiotherapy, among other things, I’ve been giving her Ensure everyday. While on chemo (back in 2010/2011) and after her mastectomy and other treatments, her levels of hemoglobin were always very low and she would eat very little, so the only thing that was helping us was Ensure. I can tell you for a fact that Ensure, even now makes a huge difference. My mom won’t drink nutritious natural smoothies (have tried), and she is a very picky eater, so if I don’t add sugar to drinks she won’t drink them, if the food isn’t tasty and easy to chew on she won’t eat (can’t blame her!). Her tolerance to salt and flavors in general varies drastically from one day to the next because of the side effects of an oncology related pill she’s still taking.
She also suffers from severe arthritis, her joints hurt terribly (thinking about the inflammatory effect you mention).

I’ve gotten to the conclusion that she is better off eating and drinking something than not eating or drinking!

It’s so hard as I'm trying to do the best for her but I wonder if I am!
Hope I’m not hurting her health more than helping her with Ensure!

@Dorianne, absolutely agree! Donuts cravings are a much more welcome side effect than so so many others that come as a result of taking medication that on top of everything, are not effective!

So....this is off-topic....but my mom NEEDS the calories. She is tiny and frail and barely eats as it is. Because of her dementia, right now she has 4 food groups: white cheese, cottage cheese, Ritz crackers, and Timbits (doughnut holes from Tim Horton's - it's a Canadian thing).  I can't get her to eat anything else....if I make her a meal, she pushes it around on her plate and then puts it in the garbage.  (I'm not that bad of a cook!!!!)  The shakes have been a godsend, but how do I get the calories in her without the sugars in high calorie Ensure? 

Dorianne, Glucerna is made for diabetics, I'm not sure how it is formulated.
If she does the ensures will she drink smoothies? What about custards and puddings?

On the same boat with my mom Dorianne..and I realize my comment is off topic as well!!

For nutrition, check out Magic Cup which can be used as a pudding or ice cream. It comes in different flavors. There is also Thrive Ice Cream and Carnation Instant Breakfast in different flavors. Something different to try. I believe there are sugar free varieties also.

Dorianne: It is CBD oil. This friend birthed 5 of her 6 children at home for whatever reason, I do not know. She has very large babies and baby number 5 got stuck in the birth canal. She has HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy). She chose to be induced 2 weeks early with baby number 6. She weighed 10 pounds and 4 ounces! I don't know if it contains THC. cwillie, yes, that's right, CBD oil supposedly assists with seiures. In 2017, the infant, baby Faith had at least 15 hospitalizations due to high fever, clonic seizures and aspiration pneumonias and  is still tube fed WITH   BLENDED REAL FOOD made by her mother.

Midkid58 is absolutely right about chronic pain and more people need to stop and think about what people who live with chronic pain suffer through every day. Imagine being her neighbor who has to break the law to get some relief. If she were taking legal opiods it wouldn't be any easier, in fact it would likely be harder in many ways. Even patients correctly prescribed opioids, which have their place in treatment, have to suffer through the suspicions and guilt placed on them by any new medical provider, pharmacy and anyone in earshot. The last thing they want to do is tell anyone in their lives about the pain medication they are on for fear of what people will think or what the wrong person overhearing might do. If there are other viable options anyone who hasn't experienced chronic pain or watched someone close live with it has no place passing judgment on patients trying them.