The Rising Risk of Cannabis Poisoning in Seniors
As cannabis usage increases, there has been an increase in incidents of cannabis poisoning in seniors. Adult care facilities need to protect their residents from this growing risk.
Acceptance of Marijuana Is Growing
Pew Research Center says 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of marijuana for both recreational and medical use as of March 2024. Other states have legalized marijuana just for medical use. More than half of the U.S. population lives in a state where recreational marijuana is legal and nearly three-quarters in a state where marijuana is legal for medical purposes.
Acceptance of marijuana is also growing on the federal level. The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced a proposed rule to change the classification of marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug to account for its accepted medical uses. According to the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, examples of Schedule I drugs include street drugs like LSD and ecstasy, whereas examples of Schedule III drugs include testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.
In addition to the evolving legal landscape, public sentiment is changing. Pew Research Center says only 11% of U.S. adults think marijuana should be illegal for all uses. Although younger Americans are more likely to support legalization, 31% of all adults aged 75 and above and 50% between the ages of 65 and 74 support legalization. Furthermore, approximately half of U.S. adults say they have used marijuana.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Marijuana for Seniors
Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that older adults who use cannabis do so mostly for medical purposes. In fact, 61% of older cannabis users began using cannabis after the age of 60.
Harvard Health Publishing says medical cannabis helps older adults with the same conditions as young adults, including pain, insomnia, neuropathy, and anxiety. However, there are potential side effects. Dangerous prescription interactions can occur because marijuana may increase or decrease the blood levels of other drugs. For seniors taking multiple medications, this may be a serious risk.
Cannabis poisoning is also a concern, especially among people using cannabis edibles. According to the CDC, cannabis edibles have an increased risk of cannabis poisoning because the effects may be delayed (leading people to consume too much) and because levels of THC are often unpredictable. According to a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine, 2,322 emergency department visits for cannabis poisoning in older adults occurred over the course of an eight-year study in Canada. Furthermore, the rate of emergency department visits increased after legalization.
Creating a Marijuana Policy
Growing acceptance of marijuana necessitates clear policies on marijuana use. When assisted living facilities craft their policies, they should ask the following:
- What are the relevant state and federal laws? Currently, marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, but this may be changing soon with the reclassification of marijuana. State laws have also been evolving. Facilities that don’t allow marijuana use now may need to reconsider as laws continue to change.
- Will you require a doctor’s order? Policies should differentiate between recreational and medical use.
- What forms of cannabis will you permit? Many facilities ban smoking, which may include cannabis. However, cannabis edibles increase the risk of cannabis poisoning.
- Where will you allow residents to use marijuana products? For example, will you allow cannabis smoking in designated outdoor areas or only in private units?
- Where will residents store their marijuana? If marijuana is for medical purposes, you may decide to handle it like other prescriptions.
- If residents use marijuana in ways that go against policy, what will be the consequences?
Training Staff to Recognize and Respond to Marijuana Poisoning
As acceptance of marijuana continues to grow, adult care facilities may encounter an increased number of cannabis poisonings. One way to keep residents safe is to train staff on how to recognize and respond to a poisoning.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, cannabis poisoning may lead to extreme confusion, anxiety, paranoia, panic, delusions, and hallucinations. It may also result in a fast heart rate, increased blood pressure, and severe nausea or vomiting. In some cases, these symptoms may cause the individual to fall, which may result in severe injury.
If a resident has these symptoms, staff should call for medical support. Severe symptoms require emergency medical care. In the meantime, try to keep the resident calm and prevent falls.
The increase in cannabis poisoning in seniors may create additional liability exposures for adult care facilities. Do you have the residential care home insurance you need to protect your facility against growing liability risks? Tangram provides insurance for residential care facilities through the Personal Care & Assisted Living Insurance Center (PCALIC). Learn more.
