How medical marijuana affects older adults over time
Real-Time and Long-Term Effects of Medical Marijuana on Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study
This project follows older adults who use medical marijuana to see how it changes their pain, mood, thinking, daily functioning, and side effects using phone-based reports and clinic visits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237969 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would report symptoms and medication use through smartphone-based real-time surveys while also attending several in-person clinic visits over 12 months. Researchers will collect clinical measures and blood samples to measure telomere length as a marker of cellular aging. The team will track pain intensity, physical function, emotional and cognitive functioning, quality of life, and side effects. They will also look at whether effects differ by sex, baseline pain features, and expectations about marijuana.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with chronic pain who are using or considering medical marijuana and who can use a smartphone and attend clinic visits are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Younger people, individuals not using medical marijuana, or those unable to complete phone surveys or travel for in-person visits may not directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help patients and clinicians make more informed choices about medical marijuana use and identify potential benefits and risks for older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Some short-term studies show effects of medical marijuana on pain and mood, but real-time phone tracking combined with telomere biomarkers in older adults is largely new.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Yan — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Wang, Yan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.