Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, nor does it establish a patient-doctor relationship. TeleLeaf does not guarantee any result from using medical marijuana. Consult your doctor to determine if medical cannabis is appropriate for your individual health needs and medical conditions.
It can be hard to get into the world of medical cannabis as a senior. It’s not always clear where to start when you walk into a retailer and see shelves full of strange products like tinctures, topicals, edibles, and more.
If you’re thinking about using cannabis as a possible alternative for chronic pain, trouble sleeping, or other health issues, the first thing you need to do is learn about your product options.
This guide lists the most popular cannabis products for seniors and helps you decide which way of using them might be best for your lifestyle, health needs, and comfort level.
Why Seniors are Using Medical Cannabis
The way healthcare for seniors is changing. More and more older people are willing to try medical cannabis as an alternative or addition to traditional medicines.
Patients are looking for relief from conditions like arthritis, neuropathic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and inflammation, which tend to get worse as people get older.
Medical cannabis is a different way to manage debilitating conditions than traditional medications, which can have serious side effects or make you dependent on them.
Cannabis products help many older people with their symptoms without the side effects of long-term opioid use or the stomach problems that come with NSAIDs.
The main benefit? There are different types of medical cannabis that don’t need to be smoked which works best for senior patients who may have breathing problems or just want to use more private, familiar ways to consume.
Cannabis Products for Seniors
Tinctures
Cannabis tinctures are small bottles with droppers that contain extracts made from alcohol or oil. They are always at the top of the list of best choices for seniors and people who have never used cannabis before.
Benefits
- Each drop has a set amount of cannabinoids, so you can control exactly how much you take. Most tinctures have droppers that are clearly marked with milliliters and a label that says how much THC is in each drop (for example, “5 mg THC per mL”).
- Tinctures go straight into your bloodstream through the oral mucosa when you put them under your tongue. This sublingual method skips your digestive system and works in 15 to 45 minutes, which is much faster than edibles.
- You can find the right amount for you by starting with a low dose, like 2.5 mg, and slowly increasing it. It’s easy to lower the dose the next time if it’s too strong. You can slowly increase it if it’s not helping enough.
- Tinctures don’t make smoke or vapor, so they can be used in a lot of different places without being noticed. Taking them is easy and won’t get you in trouble.
- You can add them to food or drinks if you don’t like the taste or if you have trouble holding liquid under your tongue.
Caps
ules
Cannabis capsules are a good way for seniors who take daily vitamins or medications in pill form to start using medical cannabis. They have measured amounts of cannabis oil in gelatin or vegetarian capsule shells that are easy to swallow.
Benefits
- Each capsule has the same amount of cannabinoids in it. You can be sure that every dose will be the same if a 5 mg capsule works for you.
- If you don’t like the earthy, herbal taste of cannabis, capsules take care of that issue completely.
- Capsules take longer to work (usually 45 minutes to 2 hours) because they are digested, but they last much longer than other methods, often 6 to 8 hours. This makes them especially helpful for getting rid of symptoms overnight or all day.
- Taking a capsule with your morning vitamins or evening medications is easy to do.
Considerations
The onset time is longer for capsules than for tinctures or vaporizers because they have to go through your digestive system. Because of this, capsules are best for conditions that need long-term relief instead of just managing symptoms right away.
They work great for chronic pain, helping you sleep, or keeping your anxiety in check during the day.
How much you’ve eaten can change how well you absorb things. Taking capsules on an empty stomach may make them work faster, but taking them with food (especially fatty foods) may make cannabinoids absorb better but take longer to start working.
Edibles
Cannabis edibles are foods like gummies, chocolates, mints, lozenges, and baked goods that have cannabis extract in them. They’re one of the most popular types of products, and they give people who don’t want to use any inhalation methods a nice experience.
Benefits
- Most edibles look like common snacks like gummies or mints, which makes them easy for patients new to cannabis.
- Edibles are broken down by the body, which means their effects last for 6 to 8 hours or longer. This makes them great for managing symptoms all day or all night.
- Dispensaries now make edibles in doses of 2.5 mg or 5 mg that are perfect for beginners and people with lower tolerance.
- Taking your medicine is more fun when it comes in different flavors and forms.
Considerations
Edibles take a while to kick in. Effects usually start 45 minutes to 2 hours after eating, but they can take longer depending on your metabolism, when you last ate, and other personal factors.
Topicals
Cannabis topicals are creams, lotions, balms, and salves that have cannabinoids in them and you put them directly on your skin. They are a completely different type of cannabis product because they usually don’t get into your bloodstream and don’t make you feel high.
Benefits
- Cannabinoids in topicals don’t get into your bloodstream and don’t cause the “high” that THC does. Instead, they work on cannabinoid receptors in your skin.
- You can use topicals during the day without worrying about getting impaired because they don’t affect mental clarity. You can use them before driving, at work, or at any other time.
- You can use topicals with other methods of taking medicine. For example, they might take a tincture for overall pain relief and then apply a topical to a knee that hurts a lot.
Topicals are especially good for:
- Pain in the hands, knees, or other joints from arthritis
- Soreness and tightness in the muscles
- Localized neuropathic pain
- Skin problems like eczema or psoriasis
- Small injuries and swelling
Transdermal Patches
Transdermal patches are sticky patches that contain cannabinoids and stick to your skin. They give you a steady dose of medicine for a long time, usually 8 to 12 hours or more.
Benefits
- Patches release cannabinoids at a steady rate over the time they are worn, unlike other methods where levels go up and down.
- One patch can help for a whole day or night, which is great for older people who have trouble remembering to take their medicine multiple times a day.
- Patches deliver cannabinoids through the skin into the bloodstream, which means they don’t go through the digestive system, which can be unpredictable. This makes the effects more consistent.
- Once you put on patches, they are almost invisible under clothes.
Vaporizers
Vaporizers are worth mentioning as a smoke-free way to inhale that works the fastest for many seniors who don’t want to smoke.
How vaporizers are different from smoking
Vaporizers heat cannabis oil or flower to a temperature that lets cannabinoids and terpenes out without burning the plant material. This makes a vapor instead of smoke, which cuts down on the harmful chemicals and irritants that come from burning.
Benefits
- Vaporizers are great for sudden anxiety or breakthrough pain because they work quickly, usually within 5 to 15 minutes.
- The effects usually last 2 to 3 hours, which gives you more control over when you need relief without having to commit to the long duration of edibles.
- Many vaporizer cartridges list the exact amount of cannabinoids they contain, which makes it possible to dose them in a way that is similar to tinctures.
- Vaporizing is much less harmful to the lungs and throat than smoking, though it is not completely safe.
Considerations
You need to be more comfortable with technology to use vaporizers than other methods. Most of them use batteries that can be recharged and need to be cleaned often. It can be intimidating for seniors to use it, but most modern vaporizers are made to be easy to use with just one button.
If you have breathing problems, you might not even want to vaporize. Talk to your doctor before using vaporizers.
How to Choose the Best Medical Cannabis Product
Choose base on your condition
Different products work better for different needs.
- Topicals are good for arthritis pain that is only in one area.
- Tinctures and capsules work better for problems that affect the whole body, like anxiety or pain all over.
- Patches are great for managing symptoms all day, every day.
Think about how comfortable you’ll be when using a certain product
There is no one “best” product; only the best product for you. You might like capsules because they are familiar or tinctures because they work quickly and can be changed.
Your tolerance matters
No matter what kind of product you are using for the first time, you should always start with the lowest dose. You might need less cannabis than you thought you would to get the health benefits.
Your sensitivity to THC
If you’re worried about getting high, look for products with more CBD or a 1:1 or 1:2 THC:CBD ratio. CBD can change how THC works, which can help with medical problems without making you feel high.
How to Get Started
- Pick one type of product and get used to it before trying others. This lets you see how your body reacts without too many things going on.
- Write down the type of product, the dose, the time you took it, and the effects you felt. This helps you find patterns and make your routine better.
- Be patient; it may take some time to find the right product and dose for you. Most experts say you should try a certain dose at least three times before deciding to change it.
- Only buy from licensed dispensaries that test their products for strength, purity, and contaminants.
- If you use medical cannabis, let your doctor know, especially if you take prescription drugs. Cannabis can affect some medicines, especially blood thinners.
- Take your first dose of any new product at home when you don’t have anything to do for a few hours. This lets you feel the effects in a safe and comfortable place.
The Way Ahead
You need more than just the right cannabis product; you also need to be able to legally get it. Getting your medical marijuana card is easy and quick with TeleLeaf.
Join the thousands of older people who have found a new way to take care of their health with medical cannabis by signing up for a medical marijuana card.
Feel free to call us at (504) 264-3123 for any questions.
Ashlyn Saucier 
Tinctures
ules
Transdermal patches are sticky patches that contain cannabinoids and stick to your skin. They give you a steady dose of medicine for a long time, usually 8 to 12 hours or more.
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