Health
Through new pilot project, medical marijuana could become more accessible to senior citizens
A new initiative dubbed The Commonwealth Project, based in Massachusetts, aims to integrate medical cannabis into traditional health care for seniors.
“People 65 and over are the fastest-growing segment using cannabis, but they’re using it for ailments of aging, [for] relief,” Howard Kessler, the group’s founder, told Fox News.
Medical marijuana is legal in 37 states, four U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.
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It is not legal at the federal level, however, which means doctors cannot prescribe cannabis.
“I’ve talked to many physicians who say they get asked five times a day by their patients, ‘I’d like to try [it].’ And the physician says, ‘I think you should. But I’m of no help,’” William Van-Faasen, former CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, told Fox News.
Most states do require documentation for medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana is not legal at the federal level, meaning doctors cannot prescribe cannabis. (iStock)
The Compassionate Use Act allows health care providers to write recommendations for the substance instead of traditional prescriptions.
“Doctors need to know the benefits that cannabis has on seniors’ lives,” Keith Myers, CEO of MorseLife Health System, a senior living community based in Palm Beach, Florida, told Fox News.
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“They need to understand that it should be part of the drug regimen that they make recommendations for.”
“It’s the wild west. Consumers are left on their own.”
Even with informed doctors, senior citizens can face hurdles when trying to access cannabis treatment.
“It’s the wild west. Consumers are left on their own,” former Massachusetts HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders told Fox News.
Dispensaries often do not have on-site doctors or pharmacists, and the quality of cannabis can vary from place to place.
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“Think about what it’s like when they want to try it,” Kessler said. “When you go into the dispensary, they aren’t doctors or health people. They aren’t experts … So you’re not getting the guidance. There’s no follow-up.”
Some groups say that increased regulation is needed before access to medical marijuana is expanded.
It is important to be aware of the different formulations, dosages and delivery systems, experts cautioned. (iStock)
“There are … literally hundreds of thousands of different formulations you could be thinking about,” Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of the nonprofit Smart Approaches to Marijuana in New York City, told Fox News.
“You really have to be careful about the dosage, the delivery system.”
Kessler’s pilot project in Massachusetts would allow for medical cannabis through a payer-provider system like Medicare Advantage.
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“They have your health records. They keep tremendous data,” he said. “They keep actuarial data … You could use the data to improve the efficacy. You could create a safer product. You could train the caregiver.”
Kessler’s group has already conducted smaller studies, which he said have shown promise for cannabis use among seniors.
“You don’t feel so dopey like you do with Xanax,” said one patient.
Dispensaries often do not have doctors or pharmacists onsite, and the quality of cannabis can vary from place to place, experts say. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo)
In one study conducted at a senior living facility in Florida, more than 80% of participants reported a positive impact.
“[Even if] something can be prescribed and it is approved [for] medical use, we still have to work to convince prescribers to offer the product as an alternative,” Robert Kent, former White House general counsel of National Drug Control Policy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News.
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“I think that using the payers, the insurance companies, to help with that is an enormously smart idea.”
“If you really want equitable access, insurance coverage at some point is the way to go.”
Seventy-four percent of participants also said that marijuana was more cost-effective than prescription drugs — while 56% stopped taking other pharmaceuticals altogether.
“Doing it within that health care system, you can scale it up in a massive way — and very quickly,” said Kent. “It could exponentially save a bunch of money, which could be used to secure the program and … for other purposes.”
Thirty percent of people over age 65 take five or more pharmaceuticals daily, according to the National Institutes of Health. (iStock)
Thirty percent of people over the age of 65 take five or more pharmaceuticals daily, according to the National Institutes of Health.
One study for Health Affairs found that doctors prescribed an average of around 1,800 fewer doses of painkillers each year to Medicare members in states where marijuana was legal.
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If marijuana is legalized nationwide, Health Affairs projects savings of up to $500 million per year.
Even for those with informed doctors, senior citizens can face hurdles when trying to access cannabis treatment. (iStock)
“For some people, the cost is a deterrent,” Sudders said. “And so, if you really want equitable access, then insurance coverage at some point is the way to go.”
Medicare Advantage programs can reimburse for products and services that are outside traditional medical care, he noted.
“You’re working within the system, not asking for a new system to be created.”
But some groups aren’t convinced — and say more research is needed.
“I think it’s been oversold,” Sabet said.
“I think in a lot of other studies, [it] shows that people have those same outcomes when they’re taking a placebo … and they think they’re taking this. And so I think we really need to look at this very closely.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/healt.
Kessler said he hopes his team will study it more closely and find benefits that could change the health care landscape.
Those involved believe the pilot could launch within the next year.
“If CMS, the Medicaid and Medicare folks, approve this proposal, I think within six months to a year, we’ll start to have solid information,” Kent predicted.
“Then it could be expanded across all age groups for the same conditions.”
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The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans.
New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.
MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include hospitalization for heart failure.
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Using health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the researchers compared two groups of veterans — one that received the COVID and flu vaccine on the same day (nearly 350,000 people) and another group that received only the flu vaccine (nearly 700,000 people).
For people older than 75, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE was 50.7%. (iStock)
Out of more than one million veterans studied, the average age was about 70 and 92% were male, according to a press release.
Within about eight months, the results showed that those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events, with a relative vaccine effectiveness of 37.7%.
The COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, 38.5% lower risk of heart attack and 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the researchers stated. The result for stroke was not statistically significant.
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The benefit was greatest among adults ages 75 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In people over 75, the vaccine was 50.7% effective at preventing COVID-associated MACE.
As the study was observational, it could not prove cause and effect between the COVID-19 vaccine and lower risk of cardiovascular events, but only highlighted an association.
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Dr. Glenn Hirsch, cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, called these results “not overall surprising” in an interview with Fox News Digital.
After eight months, those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events. (iStock)
“This result is consistent with previous studies of the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines against infectious diseases [in] preventing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiovascular cause of death or hospitalizations,” he said.
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular events and can cause further complications, according to the doctor.
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“This can lead to a higher risk of blood clotting, but can also make arterial plaques susceptible to rupture, which then leads to clot formation to heal a ruptured plaque,” he said. “This clotting can cause a near-total or complete occlusion of an artery, leading to these cardiovascular events.”
“Vaccines either prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection and subsequent inflammation, lowering the cardiovascular risk.”
Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, the study suggests. (iStock)
Despite the positive outcome, the overall benefit of the vaccine in this study was less than in previous studies, according to Hirsch, who was not involved in the research.
This could be due to the lower severity of illness seen in more recent COVID-19 variants, as well as immunity from prior infections among unvaccinated people, he noted. There has also been a decline in COVID testing, making it more difficult to link cardiovascular events to the virus.
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“The bottom line [is] that there is still evidence of benefit from COVID-19 vaccination like many other infectious disease vaccinations, and people should be encouraged to discuss these with their healthcare team annually,” Hirsch advised.
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“This is an observational trial and there can always be some confounding after necessary statistical adjustments and other potential benefits or harms, including adverse effects from vaccines that were not investigated in this study,” he added.
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A former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star is speaking out about a fresh wave of health issues.
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023.
At the time, the reality star shared that she believed she had been infected with a parasite during a trip to Morocco, Fox News Digital previously reported.
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After the initial diagnosis, she suspected she contracted a parasite in Morocco and said she could feel it moving within her face.
Brandi Glanville attends the grand opening of Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Clinic West Hollywood in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 25, 2024. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Glanville was first diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, a sudden swelling of the deeper layers of the skin and mucous membranes, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Angioedema “is a reaction similar to hives that affects deeper layers of the skin. It can appear with hives or alone,” Mayo Clinic states.
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Most recently, in a June 18 episode of her podcast “Brandi Glanville Unfiltered,” Glanville revealed that doctors discovered a “benign tumor” in one of her facial lymph nodes.
The reality star, who has previously speculated that a parasite may be contributing to her facial symptoms, said the finding could help explain the swelling and fluid buildup she has experienced and noted that she has had a lump in her face for “years.”
Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023. (Mega/GC Images)
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, guys. I thought I was fixed, and then it happened again and now it’s sinking in again,” Glanville said in another June podcast.
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“It could be why the fluid is going around my face and why I’m having a hard time,” she added.
While benign tumors of the face have been known to arise from fat tissue, blood vessels, skin structures, salivary glands or lymphatic tissue, Glanville has not publicly disclosed the specific type of diagnosis she received.
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Prior to learning of the tumor, Glanville said she saw dozens of doctors and spent over $100,000 trying to pinpoint the source of the issue.
Brandi Glanville shares images of painful facial burns caused by Nair hair removal cream in a viral TikTok video. (Brandi Glanville/TikTok)
The reality star emphasized that the tumor is “not cancerous.”
“I haven’t had a face lift yet!” she added.
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Glanville also said she suspected her ruptured breast implants could have played a role in her health issues, claiming the leaking silicone had clogged her lymph nodes.
Fox News Digital reached out to Glanville for comment.
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