Coming Soon

By Peter Grinspoon, MD

Foreword by Dr. Staci Gruber

On Sale: May 5, 2026
Page Count: 272 pages
Publisher: Sterling Ethos
ISBN-13: 9781454962939

$19.99

$25.99 CAD

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Trade Paperback $19.99 $25.99 CAD
ebook $9.99 $12.99 CAD

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This comprehensive guide demystifies medical cannabis for seniors, providing expert guidance on safe and effective use to alleviate common aging symptoms, from a credentialed primary care physician and cannabis specialist.

With sixty million Americans over sixty-five and twice that number over fifty, many are seeking alternatives to often-harmful pharmaceuticals. Medical marijuana helps with multiple symptoms of aging, such as chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia, with relatively low toxicity if used properly.

This is the essential guide for the “canna-curious” senior, family member, or caregiver, providing practical instructions, real-life case studies, and a balanced view of the benefits and risks of cannabis and CBD. Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School instructor, addresses the “why” and “how” of cannabis use—from science and health benefits to potential risks, types and forms of cannabis, consumption methods, and appropriate dosages. He guides readers through the buying experience, legal considerations, and becoming a certified medical marijuana patient, emphasizing doctor-patient communication for safe and effective use.

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Peter Grinspoon, MD is a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also a certified addiction medicine specialist, and a certified health and wellness coach. Dr. Grinspoon is a board member of the advocacy group Doctors for Drug Policy Reform and an advisor to the Parabola Group, which advocates for social justice in the cannabis space. He spent two years as an associate director of the Massachusetts Physician Health Service, treating and monitoring hundreds of physicians with addiction. He is the author of the memoir Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction. Dr. Grinspoon is a widely recognized expert on cannabis science and drug policy and is a contributing editor to Harvard Health Publications. He has been on NPR’s All Things Considered, as well as national television shows including NBC Nightly News and MSNBC.

Staci Gruber, PhD, is the director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core and the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital. She is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the application of neurocognitive models and neuroimaging to better characterize risk factors for substance misuse and psychiatric conditions. Dr. Gruber studies the impact of marijuana on the brain using neurocognitive, clinical, and diagnostic assessments, and multimodal brain imaging techniques. She works to educate policymakers and the general public about the neurobiologic differences between adults and adolescents as well as additional factors that contribute to the impact of marijuana on the brain. In 2014, Dr. Gruber launched MIND, the first program of its kind designed to clarify the specific effects of medical marijuana use on a number of outcome measures.

“Dr. Grinspoon has done a great job of presenting a balanced, evidence-based view of cannabis in the elderly. I learned quite a bit from this book regarding how cannabis can help many chronic conditions in my elderly patients including chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia—conditions for which there are few or no good medical alternatives. I will be recommending this book to all of my colleagues so that they too can understand the pros and cons of treating elderly patients with cannabis.”
Andrew E. Budson, MD, Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine
“Peter Grinspoon’s Aging Well with Cannabis is an essential and timely guide for clinicians and patients navigating the complexities of aging. In my work as an integrative geriatrician, I have seen firsthand that, when used thoughtfully, cannabis can serve not as a ‘gateway drug,’ but as an exit drug—helping many older adults reduce reliance on polypharmacy. From insomnia and anxiety to chronic pain and other conditions cannabis offers a lower-toxicity option that, in the right clinical context, can simplify medication regimens and improve quality of life. This book provides a much-needed, evidence-informed roadmap for doing so safely and responsibly.”
Mikhail Kogan, MD, Chief Medical Officer, GW Center for Integrative Medicine, and Associate Professor of Medicine, George Washington University

Peter Grinspoon, MD

About the Author

Peter Grinspoon, MD is a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also a certified addiction medicine specialist, and a certified health and wellness coach. Dr. Grinspoon is a board member of the advocacy group Doctors for Drug Policy Reform and an advisor to the Parabola Group, which advocates for social justice in the cannabis space. He spent two years as an associate director of the Massachusetts Physician Health Service, treating and monitoring hundreds of physicians with addiction. He is the author of the memoir Free Refills: A Doctor Confronts His Addiction. Dr. Grinspoon is a widely recognized expert on cannabis science and drug policy and is a contributing editor to Harvard Health Publications. He has been on NPR’s All Things Considered, as well as national television shows including NBC Nightly News and MSNBC.

Staci Gruber, PhD, is the director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core and the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital. She is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the application of neurocognitive models and neuroimaging to better characterize risk factors for substance misuse and psychiatric conditions. Dr. Gruber studies the impact of marijuana on the brain using neurocognitive, clinical, and diagnostic assessments, and multimodal brain imaging techniques. She works to educate policymakers and the general public about the neurobiologic differences between adults and adolescents as well as additional factors that contribute to the impact of marijuana on the brain. In 2014, Dr. Gruber launched MIND, the first program of its kind designed to clarify the specific effects of medical marijuana use on a number of outcome measures.

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