Dr. Maria Torroella Carney runs the Northwell Health Physician Partners Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine practice in New Hyde Park, where the average age of her patients is 80 to 84. In recent years, she’s found a surprising inquiry among both new and existing patients during consultations: they’re often interested in medical marijuana.
“I have had patients that have both expressed interest in medical marijuana and don’t have any reservations about it,” said the 58-year old doctor, who has been certified to prescribe medical marijuana for the last eight years.
Since New York’s legalization of medical marijuana in 2016 and recreational use in 2021, cannabis has become less taboo. Older adults, especially those with health issues like arthritis and chronic pain, have begun to turn to doctors who prescribe cannabis for medical use. Some doctors, like Carney, have found ways to incorporate the substance into a patient’s broader treatment plan.
Older adults use cannabis for a variety of reasons, according to the University of Michigan’s National Health Poll on Healthy Aging September 2024 report on how older adults use, think about and discuss cannabis. The report, which surveyed adults ages 50 and over, found that they primarily used cannabis to relax, sleep better and feel better mentally and physically.
Cannabis is not the primary treatment offered at Carney’s practice — which focuses on providing compassionate care for older adults and comfort care for those with serious illnesses, including pain management and supporting families navigating end-of-life issues. But medical cannabis has played a role in helping her patients, and Carney’s office is also conducting early research into the effects of cannabis on dementia patients.
Carney, co-author of “The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults,” spoke to Newsday about medical cannabis use in older adults, including the benefits, risks and potential role in future treatment.
Many of my patients are using it for pain management. The average age in our office is 80, probably 84 years of age. My patients want it because they want to try to avoid opiates. They’ve been using Tylenol, Advil, and we try to avoid that because of potential kidney problems. But when that doesn’t work for chronic pain, the next idea is opiates, and you want to try to avoid that. There’s a lot of suffering I see with patients [from something] as simple as arthritis to pain from certain diseases, cancers, and injuries. So they request it as a means of trying to avoid use of opiates such as oxycodone, Percocet, and Dilaudid, and I have some frailer patients who are benefiting from it.
One of the things I’m concerned with is if it makes patients a higher risk for falls. How does it interact with other medications? Those are things we’re interested in studying. How does it affect illness, does it contribute to falling in any way? We don’t know, we haven’t seen it, but we want to study it for safety.
I do have patients who smoke, and they’ve been transparent about it. Some smoke with their grandchildren, and so forth. I can’t encourage it. I don’t know the risks or benefits in terms of our patient population. I do have patients that use edibles for sleep, and it’s not widely studied. So we have to be very cautious and respectful of the potential harm, and we should study it because of its potential benefit.
We do have relationships with the dispensaries and reach out to them. Many are very good about delivering medical marijuana to homes and make it easier for our patient population.
We want to check in. It’s important that you [maintain] a relationship with the patient to help manage the symptoms. We want to know the patient’s goals. Is it to be pain-free? Is it to be more independent and move better? We want to have realistic expectations and it takes time. And then the other thing, it’s not covered by insurance, so it’s private pay, and they have to understand that so there’s no surprises..
Prescribing cannabis requires that you be certified, which is a [Office of Cannabis Management-approved] course. I think that’s good because it assures quality treatment. Secondly, when you register someone to take medical marijuana you have to fill out forms and generate approvals. But again, it’s necessary for quality purposes and dosing and follow-up.
I think, as we understand the science better, that makes it more medically acceptable.
I would say that it’s important to know that the science behind medical cannabis is significant and we need to better utilize that science to help individuals. But we also have to be respectful of the potential risks involved that we don’t know. It’s still relatively new and people should not utilize these without understanding that.
Dr. Maria Torroella Carney runs the Northwell Health Physician Partners Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine practice in New Hyde Park, where the average age of her patients is 80 to 84. In recent years, she’s found a surprising inquiry among both new and existing patients during consultations: they’re often interested in medical marijuana.
“I have had patients that have both expressed interest in medical marijuana and don’t have any reservations about it,” said the 58-year old doctor, who has been certified to prescribe medical marijuana for the last eight years.
Since New York’s legalization of medical marijuana in 2016 and recreational use in 2021, cannabis has become less taboo. Older adults, especially those with health issues like arthritis and chronic pain, have begun to turn to doctors who prescribe cannabis for medical use. Some doctors, like Carney, have found ways to incorporate the substance into a patient’s broader treatment plan.
Older adults use cannabis for a variety of reasons, according to the University of Michigan’s National Health Poll on Healthy Aging September 2024 report on how older adults use, think about and discuss cannabis. The report, which surveyed adults ages 50 and over, found that they primarily used cannabis to relax, sleep better and feel better mentally and physically.
Cannabis is not the primary treatment offered at Carney’s practice — which focuses on providing compassionate care for older adults and comfort care for those with serious illnesses, including pain management and supporting families navigating end-of-life issues. But medical cannabis has played a role in helping her patients, and Carney’s office is also conducting early research into the effects of cannabis on dementia patients.
Carney, co-author of “The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults,” spoke to Newsday about medical cannabis use in older adults, including the benefits, risks and potential role in future treatment.
Q: How do your patients use cannabis to mitigate symptoms?
Many of my patients are using it for pain management. The average age in our office is 80, probably 84 years of age. My patients want it because they want to try to avoid opiates. They’ve been using Tylenol, Advil, and we try to avoid that because of potential kidney problems. But when that doesn’t work for chronic pain, the next idea is opiates, and you want to try to avoid that. There’s a lot of suffering I see with patients [from something] as simple as arthritis to pain from certain diseases, cancers, and injuries. So they request it as a means of trying to avoid use of opiates such as oxycodone, Percocet, and Dilaudid, and I have some frailer patients who are benefiting from it.
Q: What are some risks associated with cannabis use in older adults?
One of the things I’m concerned with is if it makes patients a higher risk for falls. How does it interact with other medications? Those are things we’re interested in studying. How does it affect illness, does it contribute to falling in any way? We don’t know, we haven’t seen it, but we want to study it for safety.
Q: How do most patients consume cannabis?
I do have patients who smoke, and they’ve been transparent about it. Some smoke with their grandchildren, and so forth. I can’t encourage it. I don’t know the risks or benefits in terms of our patient population. I do have patients that use edibles for sleep, and it’s not widely studied. So we have to be very cautious and respectful of the potential harm, and we should study it because of its potential benefit.
Customers shop at Beleaf, one of Long Island’s cannabis dispensary, in April. Credit: Randee Daddona
Q: Are you involved with local dispensaries?
We do have relationships with the dispensaries and reach out to them. Many are very good about delivering medical marijuana to homes and make it easier for our patient population.
Q: What kind of guidance do you offer the patient about medical cannabis?
We want to check in. It’s important that you [maintain] a relationship with the patient to help manage the symptoms. We want to know the patient’s goals. Is it to be pain-free? Is it to be more independent and move better? We want to have realistic expectations and it takes time. And then the other thing, it’s not covered by insurance, so it’s private pay, and they have to understand that so there’s no surprises..
Dr. Maria Carney pictured here at her medical practice in New Hyde Park, said she’s seen more and more older patients requesting medical marijuana. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Q: What kind of regulations do doctors have to follow to prescribe medical cannabis?
Prescribing cannabis requires that you be certified, which is a [Office of Cannabis Management-approved] course. I think that’s good because it assures quality treatment. Secondly, when you register someone to take medical marijuana you have to fill out forms and generate approvals. But again, it’s necessary for quality purposes and dosing and follow-up.
Q: How have your views on medical cannabis changed throughout your career?
I think, as we understand the science better, that makes it more medically acceptable.
Q: What would you say to patients who are ambivalent about using medical cannabis?
I would say that it’s important to know that the science behind medical cannabis is significant and we need to better utilize that science to help individuals. But we also have to be respectful of the potential risks involved that we don’t know. It’s still relatively new and people should not utilize these without understanding that.
Northwell Health’s Dr. Maria Carney answers questions about cannabis use in older populations. Read More
