Seniors and pot: Panel to educate older adults about risks and benefits of cannabis use

When cannabis became legal, there was a lot of information for youth and families, but not very much for seniors, saysSharonLivingtsone.

It's why the Cambridge Council on Agingwill host an expert panelon how to safely use cannabis if you're an older adult.

Those interested can register for the panel,which aims to look at the risks and benefits of adding medicinal or recreational cannabis to a person's list of medications. There will be time set aside for questions from theaudience.

"What we have heard through the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy, who are the experts in the area, is that the fastest growing group using cannabis and medical marijuana are older adults,"Livingstone,chair of theCambridge Council on Aging,toldCBC'sCraig Norris onThe Morning Edition.

Pharmacists, representatives from public health, a nurse from Cambridge's rapid access clinic and someone with lived experience will make up the experts panel, set to go on March 21 at Cambridge city hall.

• Seniors left out of cannabis public health information push
• Medical guidelines in the works to clear up confusion about cannabis for seniors

Livingstoneadds pharmacists andthe nurses at Cambridge's rapid access clinic are good resourcesfor older adults who are considering cannabis use, but many seniors may not knowthey are available to them.

She hopes older adults and those who provide services to seniors will come out to the panel and walk away having learned a thing or two.

"Our experience with older adults is that they're really smart folks so if we give them the information, they'll figure it out and use it," she said.