Cannabis Reduces Blood Pressure in Older Adults

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Medical cannabis is being used to treat dozens of health conditions, from chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea to hepatitis, HIV and glaucoma.  Now we’re learning that cannabis may also be a useful treatment for high blood pressure.

A small study conducted by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel found that cannabis significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older adults with hypertension. The study, recently published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, is believed to be the first to document the cardiovascular benefits of cannabis.

“Older adults are the fastest growing group of medical cannabis users, yet evidence on cardiovascular safety for this population is scarce,” said lead author Dr. Ran Abuhasira of BGU and Soroka University’s Cannabis Clinical Research Institute. "This study is part of our ongoing effort to provide clinical research on the actual physiological effects of cannabis over time."

Twenty-six patients aged 60 and older either smoked cannabis or ingested it through oils, while their blood pressure, heart rate, and body measurements were monitored.  After three months of cannabis therapy, their mean 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced by 5.0 mmHg and 4.5 mmHg, respectively. Blood pressure was lowest three hours after ingesting cannabis and at night.

Researchers believe that pain relief, the primary reason most patients use medical cannabis, may have contributed to lowered blood pressure.

Previous studies by BGU researchers found that cannabis significantly reduced pain in older adults living with cancer, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and other chronic conditions. Most patients also said their quality of life improved.

A growing number of seniors are discovering the medical benefits of cannabis. A recent survey of patients at a geriatric clinic in Southern California found that over half were using cannabis on a daily or weekly basis, usually to treat pain, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and depression. Although medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they used cannabis for the first time as older adults.

Can Medical Cannabis Treat Acute Pain?

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

Medical cannabis is often touted as a treatment for chronic pain, but surprisingly little is known about its effectiveness in treating short-term, acute pain – like a toothache or post-operative pain.

In a new systematic review published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, Canadian researchers found there was a small but meaningful reduction in pain scores with medical cannabis compared to placebo in patients experiencing acute pain.

Researchers at McMaster University and Northern Ontario School of Medicine reviewed 25 clinical studies dealing with cannabis and acute pain, but could find only six that met their criteria for size and quality.

Five of the studies dealt with the oral administration of cannabinoids, while the sixth involved the intramuscular injection of levonantradol -- a potent synthetic cannabinoid used in research -- that was given to 56 patients suffering from post-operative or trauma pain.

Interestingly, while that study was conducted nearly 40 years ago, the levonantradol injections were found to be the most effective method for administering cannabinoids for acute pain.

“There is low-quality evidence indicating that cannabinoids may be a safe alternative for a small but significant reduction in subjective pain score when treating acute pain, with intramuscular administration resulting in a greater reduction relative to oral,” said co-author Herman Johal, MD, a researcher and orthopedic trauma surgeon at McMaster University.

“There was a significant difference in the effect size between oral and nonoral routes of administration. This indicated that there may be differences in efficacy for acute pain based on route of administration.”

Johal and his colleagues say the oral absorption of cannabinoids is slow and can take hours before there is any pain relief – which is not ideal for someone recovering from surgery. Inhaled cannabinoids work much faster – about ten minutes – but may not be suitable in a hospital setting.

In short, while cannabinoids show some promise in treating acute pain, a lot more research is needed.

“Our review highlights the need for further research to investigate the optimal route and composition of cannabinoids in the acute pain setting, including large, high-quality randomized clinical trials to better understand the risks and benefits of cannabinoids in this patient population,” Johal wrote.

Common adverse effects from cannabinoids in the acute pain studies included nausea and dizziness.