Cannabis has been legalized in a good part of the United States. The popular perception is that it is similar to alcohol, but safer because of the medicinal qualities that are associated with it. However, research indicates that this is likely otherwise.
For many years, marijuana and any sort of cannabis use was a taboo subject, even in the scientific community. That means that there’s not a lot of published research out there on the topic. Much of what we know about it is anecdotal or unverified. This goes for long term impacts on the brain and on the cardiovascular system. However, as restrictions are lifted around the country and social mores disappear, access to research on the long term impact of marijuana will slowly begin to appear.
The bottom line? Researchers don’t know much about how regular marijuana usage impacts the senior brain. There’s a lot more research needed before any sort of definitive answer is needed here. But, like many other medications and drugs, regular usage does cause complications in other areas. For example, smoking marijuana regularly is known to cause mouth, throat, and lung cancer. Marijuana usage of any sort in teens is associated with a high risk of mental illness, especially schizophrenia. Researchers are still unsure about the correlation and causation behind these things, but the relationship is clear. There are some very distinct dangers associated with marijuana use regardless of whether or not it has been decriminalized for recreational use.
There’s a lot to take in here when it comes to your older loved ones. And regardless of whether or not your loved one has used marijuana in the past or whether they actively use it or not doesn’t really matter if they are in active need of help. In instances like these, finding the right help to meet their needs is the most important thing. We can help you with that. In-home care can be a wonderful thing if you’re trying to help your loved one maintain their current lifestyle as much as possible.
But we do know that in-home care isn’t always perfect for everyone. Sometimes a little more is needed. Sometimes the structure of an assisted living facility is ideal for your loved one. In these instances, we don’t want to steer you toward a service that isn’t right for your family. We’re here to help, not just make a quick buck. That’s why we offer a free, no pressure consultation service before you sign up for anything. This is an educational opportunity. We want to ensure that each family we work with has a firm understanding of what is out there and what will work best for their family before they commit to anything–even if it isn’t our service.
If you’d like to learn more about senior care and what it can do for you, let us know. One of our trained caregivers would love to sit down and help walk you through what we do, what your care options are, and how care might best help your family.
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