CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Virginia Beach senior living provider has witnessed "groundbreaking" results after promoting safe cannabis use for older adults.
Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, a local senior living provider, started the Cannability Consulting program with its residents in June 2023, providing CBD and hemp-related products. Of the 190 participants, 96% have continued using the products. They say only 2% stopped due to cost or minimal adverse effects.
"We saw so many residents as we are in health care, be on psychotropic drugs and we said, 'What can we do to help them besides continue to offer, you know, pharmaceuticals.' With this, we developed Cannability Consulting so we could give an option so we could give CBD hemp-derived products to residents," the Cannability Consulting program advisor said.
"We saw great results."
Residents saw improvements in many health issues including sleep.
"I use the products for sleep, just not getting to sleep. And then if I do get to sleep, waking up at three o'clock in the morning. Well, I'm actually not taking any Western pharmaceuticals anymore and I am so much better off and we have an obligation to spread the word because there are a lot of people who are needlessly suffering whose life situation we can improve, one resident who participates in the program said.
This program is currently available to anyone in the community over 21 years old who has consulted their doctor.