Giving Tree Dispensary is located in North Phoenix. They offered an educational series for older adults, 55+. Coverage of aging is supported in part by AARP Arizona
Cannabis use among older adults is on the rise . But there are unintended consequences, like accidental overconsumption that can lead to a trip to the emergency department. It means more education is needed to help older adults navigate the head-spinning world of recreational cannabis.
Meet Michael Shelor. He’s talking about that one time he consumed a THC-infused gummy.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that produces that feeling of being high.
“So I mean, I started out with 50 milligrams, and if 50 was good, well, then 100 would be better, and I learned, no, 100 is not good,” Shelor says with a laugh.
Shelor says he was high as … well, you get the drift. Shelor is 59. He, along with four other older adults, are sitting in a small classroom inside Giving Tree Dispensary in north Phoenix. They’re here for the “Coffee and Cannabis” education series for people 55 and older. Michael Shelor uses cannabis for pain and sleep issues. Shelor’s a self-described “pothead” from the ’70s, so cannabis isn’t a new thing. But his experience with edible cannabis isn’t that unusual.
Ashley Feagins, the marketing manager at Giving Tree, is leading the series.
“It’s a completely different game now, where flower percentages for THC are higher, there’s different options for edibles, vapes, the whole nine yards," Feagins says.
That means even long-time users like Shelor, who uses cannabis for pain and insomnia, may need a crash course on dosing and the myriad choices available on the recreational market.“I think there’s a learning curve, so this is probably good for people to come in, get some basic instruction so that they don’t get to that point where they’re taking too much and they’re freaking out and they’re never going to take it again,” he says. ‘There isn’t like a one-size fits all’ Kathy Wheet attended a class for seniors at Giving Tree. She wants to learn more about how to effectively and safely use cannabis […]
This Phoenix class is helping older adults navigate head-spinning world of recreational marijuana
