Ganja Claus: Gifts for the grandparents from the pot shop?

EVERETT — Sure, those photo calendars, gardening gloves and cozy slippers are nice for Gram and Gramps.

Another hot spot for gifts is the local pot shop.

What’s up with that?

More older adults are turning (or returning) to cannabis for insomnia, anxiety and pain — or simply to get high.

“It’s the fastest-growing population because they know it’s not the ‘devil’s lettuce,’” said Josh Shade, whose six The Kushery stores offer senior discounts.

The science might not be there to back it up.

“They are wasting massive amounts of money,” said Dr. Todd Carran, substance use treatment director at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. “I don’t know of a single benefit for elderly or geriatric patients. I know of all kinds of dramatically negative effects.”

Many seniors came of age in the Sixties, back when doobies were rolled from nickel bags scored in alleys. Now legal for medical use in nearly 40 states and recreationally in over 20 states, weed stores are like a candy store for grownups.

A pre-rolled peppermint stick joint in a cylinder decorated with candy canes is $10 at The Kushery. Other flavors are cotton candy, orange dreamsicle and so on. A filter prevents finger burns. No roach clip needed.

A clear plastic “Happy Holidaze” candy cane tube with 3.5 grams of dried buds, aka flower, is $35.

It’s not necessary to blaze up, bogart the blunt, bong that bud or smoke the sticky icky. Tinctures, vapes, drinks and edibles are smoke-free options with the same effects.

Budtenders are there to serve.

“I ask, ‘How do you want to get there? Are we eating, smoking, drinking?’” said Jose Alvarez, 56, budtender at the Everett Kushery store on Evergreen Way.

About a third of customers are his age or older.

“A lot are buying edibles. A few do dabs. Obviously, they smoke flower. We all remember when it was only flower,” Alvarez said. “You don’t have to smoke weed. You can hide all that. You can be happy and nobody is going to know why Grandma’s really happy today.”

His advice for edibles: “If you were new to the sport I would tell you to take a half of one first and see where you are and then go forward. You can’t subtract. It is easier to add.”

A pack of 10 servings of blue raspberry Doozies nighttime gummies with THC-CBD-CBN plus melatonin retails for $30. A hot cocoa flavored vape pen that delivers a euphoric-inducing vapor is $40. Inhale prudently.

Cash only. And, no, Medicare won’t pay for it, because it is still illegal federally. One in five Medicare recipients use medical marijuana, according to a 2022 poll by the Medicare Plans Patient Resource Center. During the stay-home pandemic order, cannabis stores in Washington were regarded as essential and allowed to remain open.

Cannabis can impair cognition, coordination and balance, regardless of age. Getting stoned, well, we all know what that can do to a person’s judgment.

“It is known to cause an apathy syndrome where people just lose their motivation,” Carran said. “Cannabis can be a problematic drug in that people will start to use more and more … and just destroy their functionality completely.”

It affects memory.

“The geriatric population already has multiple insults to intellectual functioning,” Carran said. “Their brain is already atrophying. Our organs atrophy as we age.”

Smoking adds to the decline.

“There’s a lot of damage to the lungs whenever a burning substance is inhaled,” he said. “Older people are going to already have more insults to their lung tissues, so have lower reserves.”

He said the only proven benefits of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, is for adults with chronic pain from multiple sclerosis and treating nausea and vomiting for chemotherapy patients.

More research is needed, but there are obstacles aplenty. “It’s a Schedule 1 drug. It’s really hard to do studies on it,” he said.

The marketing of cannabis to seniors has helped fuel the boom.

“The use has gone up dramatically,” Carran said. “Every day I have a patient who is asking me, ‘Hey, doc, I bought these edibles or I’m smoking marijuana … What’s your take on this?’”

Topical balms and creams with THC, popular with seniors for achy joints, don’t provide a buzz. Or any benefit, Carran said.

Vendors are catering to, and courting, the boomers. A New York company started a Senior Moments line of products. Most shops have senior discounts.

The Kushery had a booth, and a very popular one at that, earlier this year at the Snohomish County Senior Resource Expo. The dispensary handed out swag bags with pipes, rolling trays and paraphernalia, but no product. That requires a trip to the store.

Kushery staff also do presentations at senior centers.

A slew of stories online are devoted to senior use, such as “Strains for Seniors: The 5 Best Strains To Share with Grandma and Grandpa” on headmagazine.com.

Sativa strains are best for daytime use, a cerebral high with energy and giddy attributes. Indica strains produce a laid-back body high. “In-da-couch” is a trick to keep the strains straight. Many blends are hybrids.

Websites offer accessories, such as “World’s Dopest Grandma” mugs and T-shirts.

That would sure make for a Merryjuana Christmas for me.

Is there a person, place or thing making you wonder “What’s Up With That?” Contact reporter Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.