Integrating Medical Cannabis Clinic in Geriatric Primary Care Practice Shows Promise

OG article by Manasi Talwadekar

December 12, 2025

A physician-led medical cannabis clinic integrated into a geriatric primary care practice in Virginia supported older adults with complex needs over 30 months, showing promise for safe use. The model coordinates certification providers with primary care teams to assess risks, manage interactions, and improve communication. The clinic team includes a geriatrics physician, certifying provider, pharmacist, outreach worker, and nurses. Patients receive individualized evaluations for conditions, symptoms, contraindications, safety checks, and medication reviews. Recommendations favor topical or oral products at 5-20 mg daily of THC/CBD, avoiding inhalation. Adverse events are monitored in follow-ups. Data from 144 visits by 122 patients (average age 65, 59.7% women, 49.3% White) revealed high complexity with 20.9 comorbidities on average. Most visits (84.7%) were initial, with rising renewals. 35% faced social determinants risks like insecurity, and 52.8% had prior cannabis use. Pain dominated (88.9%), followed by anxiety (13.9%) and insomnia (11.8%). Patients averaged 14.7 medications, with 4.6 potential cannabis interactions; pharmacist reviews occurred in 72.2% of visits. Among pain med users, 75.3% took gabapentinoids and 34.1% opioids. The clinic demonstrates a feasible, scalable approach for integrating medical cannabis into senior care, despite challenges like wait times and regulations.