A 72-year-old arrives in emergency after a night-time fall in the bathroom. The usual checklist follows: blood pressure, sedatives, vision, footwear. Increasingly, a geriatric team adds one more line. Did the patient eat a cannabis gummy before bed?
Cannabis is also sold online in Canada, for example by Buy My Weed, which serves legal-age adults in British Columbia and ships only to Canadian addresses. Physicians and patients reading from the United States, or from any other country, have no way to order there.
Each province sets its own retail rules, and the age line runs 19 in most provinces, 18 in Alberta and 21 in Quebec, with BC at 19. Adult use has been legal nationally since October 2018. What follows is background on published evidence for adults, not medical advice and not a recommendation to use anything.
What Did Ontario’s Emergency Data Actually Show?
The clearest Canadian signal comes from Ontario. In 2024, a team led by geriatrician Nathan Stall published an analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine. It counted emergency visits for cannabis poisoning among adults aged 65 and over between 2015 and 2022.
The study found 2,322 such visits over 8 years. The median patient was 69.5 years old, and 55.2% were men. After adjustment, the edible period carried 3.08 times the pre-legalization rate. Alcohol intoxication was present in 16.6% of visits, and 38.5% of patients had a cancer diagnosis.
California data point the same way. A UC San Diego team counted cannabis-related emergency visits among adults 65 and older. They rose from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 in 2019, a 1,808% relative increase. The researchers noted that cannabis can slow reaction time and impair attention, which may lead to falls.
Why Are Older Bodies More Sensitive to THC?
THC is the main intoxicating compound in cannabis. Age changes how the body handles it. Clinicians usually point to five factors: delayed onset (a gummy may not peak for hours), slower clearance, polypharmacy (sedatives, opioids and some antidepressants can stack with THC), blood pressure drops on standing, and slower gait and reaction time.
How Does BC’s Regulated Model Shape What Patients Buy?
In British Columbia, the Liquor Distribution Branch is the sole wholesaler of non-medical cannabis. Every legal product reaches patients through federal labeling rules. Edibles are capped at 10 mg of THC per package.
Which Fall-Prevention Steps Apply to Cannabis Users?
The Public Health Agency of Canada has long estimated that 20 to 30% of seniors fall each year. Key steps: medication review at least once a year, timing (an evening edible peaking at 2 a.m. coincides with bathroom trips), alcohol awareness, strength and balance exercise, night lighting and footwear.
What Clinicians Can Carry Into the Next Visit
Ask about edibles specifically, since many older patients do not call a gummy “cannabis use.” Record product form and printed THC milligrams, not a brand name. Treat new dizziness or unsteadiness as a reason to review cannabis alongside sedatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Legal Edibles Increase Cannabis Poisonings In Older Adults?
In Ontario, emergency visits for cannabis poisoning among adults 65 and over rose after edibles became legal. The adjusted rate in 2020 to 2022 was 3.08 times the pre-legalization rate.
Is a Single Edible Package Safe for Seniors?
The 10 mg cap limits how much THC a single package holds. It does not account for age, frailty or other medications. Any decision belongs with the patient’s own clinician.
Why Does Cannabis Raise Fall Risk In Older People?
THC can cause dizziness, slower reactions and a drop in blood pressure on standing.
Who Is Allowed to Order From a BC Retailer?
Only buyers with a Canadian address who meet the provincial age, which is 19 in BC.
