Farrow, however, said the bulk of the clients at his store — Seed Cannabis Co., located near Sixth Street and Peoria Avenue — are older adults.

“The three things that keep coming up are Ambien (a sleeping pill), prescription drugs and anxiety medications,” Farrow said of conversations with patients. “They’re looking for a more natural option than chemicals that are produced by a pharmaceutical company.”

Alderman noted a federal appeals court in 2002 granted doctors the right to speak to patients about cannabis use. But marijuana still cannot be legally prescribed, though doctors are permitted to — depending where they work — sign recommendations.

“We know that marijuana really is a double-edged sword, but we don’t understand exactly why,” Alderman said, referencing its use for conditions such as sleep disorders and anxiety. “We don’t know who is going to be most adversely affected by marijuana. Some folks do feel a transient psychosis from marijuana. Some of us are genetically predisposed to have psychosis.”