By Ruth Hill R.N.
In 2025, approximately 90,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease are expected to be diagnosed annually in the United States. This reflects a rise in incidence, with roughly 1 million Americans currently living with the disease as of 2025. Parkinson’s is becoming the second most diagnosed neurodegenerative disease.
The Parkinson’s Foundation notes that rising prevalence underscores a growing need for improved therapies and care, with incidence increasing particularly among those over age 80. Data also indicates that diagnoses are highest in states like Nebraska and Kansas.
Studies from The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Michael J. Fox Foundation suggest that prevalence will continue to increase significantly by 2050. Research suggests reducing Parkinson’s risk involves lifestyle adjustments that limit toxin exposure and boost brain health. Key actions include drinking coffee/tea, avoiding exposure to pesticides, filtering drinking water to remove chemicals like TCE, and limiting exposure to dry-cleaning solvents like PCE.
Parkinson’s disease symptoms are caused by a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in the brain. This messenger is called dopamine. Decreased dopamine leads to irregular brain activity. This causes movement problems and other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a complex, progressive condition, and even with treatment, symptoms can fluctuate. A simple Screening Tool for Identifying Advanced PD patients who need optimization of Parkinson’s Treatment is the 5:2:1 Rule. If the person takes levodopa (or another Parkinson’s medication) five or more times per day or two or more hours per day when their symptoms are not adequately controlled (called “OFF time”), or they have one or more hours per day with involuntary movements caused by medication (known as dyskinesia).
If someone meets any of these points — especially if all three apply — it’s a signal to talk with their neurologist or movement disorder specialist. Adjustments in medication timing, dosage, or type may help improve symptom control. Like any other drug, if the person wants to try cannabis, he/she should be evaluated by a cannabis nurse specialist. Most doctors are not educated on cannabis. Since it is not federally legal, physicians do not want to prescribe it.
However, nurses were given the authority to study this natural drug through the National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) practice guidelines for marijuana. Any patient should be assessed and followed for dose changes, side effects, effectiveness, and interactions with other medications.
Medical cannabis (or marijuana) is a complementary and alternative therapy of high interest for the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community. The Parkinson’s Foundation believes this topic should be better understood and has committed to doing so through a medical marijuana convening, published guidelines, new articles, interviewing experts on our podcast, and, most recently, a survey to better understand cannabis use among the PD community.
Many symptoms, especially non-motor symptoms, are not effectively addressed with pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, there is an increasing interest in the use of medical cannabis. Today, a broad number of people with PD have access to cannabis. A knowledge gap among people living with PD, which may be impacting their decisions about cannabis use, as a large portion of consumers reported not knowing the type, brand, or dosage of cannabis they primarily use.
Less than 13% of consumers reported negative side effects from cannabis use. We also asked non-consumers of cannabis if they had experienced any previous negative cannabis experience. Of these, about half reported negative side effects. An ineffective response may be due to self-medication. A person with a neurodegenerative disease should always be followed by a physician or nurse specializing in prescribing cannabis.
Bloom Hemp is proud to offer a FREE Nurse Line! Call 970-404-HOPE (4673) during USA business hours to speak with an expertly trained Holistic Cannabis Nurse and get started on a new plan. Nurses will explain how and why CBD works in the body, discuss your goals and objectives, and help you select products that will make a difference in your Parkinson’s symptoms.
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