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As more and more states are legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, an over-the-counter chemical made from the cannabis plant is also being used as a pain management tool by senior citizens and others looking to avoid addictive narcotics.
Dr. Steve Kemple, a licensed anesthesiologist and a pain management physician at the Advanced Pain and Spine Institute in Missoula, gets a lot of questions from patients about cannabidiol, commonly known as hemp-derived products. It’s one of the many chemicals that can be processed from cannabis. According to the World Health Organization, hemp by itself does not cause a “high” since it has no THC, a psychoactive compound also found in cannabis.
“I would say half or more, at least half the patients come in and ask either ask about HEMP or tell me that they’ve tried it or tell me they’re on it,” he explained. “Here’s my take from the research I’ve done and the couple places in town that have talked to us: The average patient receives about 20-25% pain relief, which for a lot of people is a lot of improvement. If you’re hurting bad, that’s a lot of improvement. There may be some that get 50-75%.”
Kemple said many senior citizens talk to him about hemp, and he tells them to get it from a reputable place (i.e., not a gas station), make sure they’re watching the right amount of milligrams, and to make sure they use it properly.
“You need to be taking it all the time,” he explained, referring to people who want to use it to treat chronic pain. “You don’t just take it when you get a headache. You need to develop a blood level and stay on the medication or product."
A lot of people don’t do that, Kemple noted.
"You have to be on it a month, and you have to be on the proper dose morning and night. These are huge things about hemp the public needs to know," he said.
And, importantly, people need to cut back on prescription narcotics and pain medications if they add hemp into the mix.
“When a patient tells me they feel 25% better because of hemp, then I say let’s cut the pain meds back by 25%,” Kemple explained. “I think hemp-derived products are another tool in the tool chest, just like physical therapy, injection therapy, psychotherapy, biofeedback, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. All these things are pieces of the pie to get increased function and less pain.”
He said the goal is to keep narcotics at a minimum because they are habit-forming and the body can get used to dosages.
Many places in the Missoula area sell hemp-derived products over the counter, he said, but only one place, the Hope Center of Missoula, has sent representatives to consult with him about proper dosages and methodology.
Jay Bostrom is the co-owner of Dancing Goat Gardens, a medical marijuana and hemp dispensary inside The Hope Center.
Shelly Hall-Crobar is the manager at Silverleaf Cannabis Co. on Front Street in downtown Missoula. She said that out of her store’s 202 patients, 33% are older than 55.
“It’s a big chunk,” she said. “A lot of it is people, especially with the opioid epidemic and crackdown, there’s an enormous amount of patients who are trying to get off the narcotics and prescription drugs.”
She said older people come into her store for hemp oil to treat joint pain, anxiety, glaucoma, and other eye disorders. Many older people buy hemp-derived pet products to treat stress in their pets, she added.
“I feel like hemp is usually the place people start,” she explained. “People who are nervous about THC will try hemp first and eventually get the cannabis card. I have customers who just have strict hemp needs. There’s definitely a group of people who don’t want the euphoric effects (of cannabis).”
Most people buy a tincture, she said, which is a vial of liquid that can be dropped on the tongue or put in tea or coffee.
She said she cautions people against buying hemp from gas stations, which she says sell “junk.”
“I think seniors should have a little guidance and do their research,” she said. “The hemp industry is just crazy. You can buy all kinds of snake oil. Well-made hemp products is really better. I know where my hemp comes from, the farm it’s grown at, and I have the test results. If they can’t give you test results that makes it a little suspect.”
Wes Correa is a manager at Double Dogs Cannabis, a dispensary with stores in Bozeman and Missoula.
“Senior citizens benefit hugely from our products,” he said. “It definitely helps people with arthritis, inflammation, lupus. We have topicals for a specific, isolated area, like someone with bad knees, rubbing it directly might help. We have hemp products like dog treats, for things like hip dysplasia.”
Hall-Crobar believes senior citizens are becoming more aware of what hemp does while fewer of them are associating it with illicit drug use.
“The word’s getting out,” she said. “The stigma has been broken. People are coming out of the woodwork. A lot of people I wouldn’t expect.”
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