The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released research showing that since 2002, marijuana use among those aged 55 to 64 has gone up by 455%—among those aged 65-plus, use is up 333%. Yes, those really are the figures.
There’s much speculation as to why use among seniors has skyrocketed in the US. There’s also a strong possibility that more Americans are turning to medicinal marijuana instead of costly pharmaceutical drugs to treat common ailments associated with getting older (such as arthritis pain and inability to sleep).
Although medical marijuana has been available in Canada since 2001, legalization may remove some of the stigma associated with the drug and encourage more people to try it for their ailments.
According to the study, teens are vastly less interested in taking up marijuana than their grandparents are. In 12–17 year olds, usage is down 10% since 2002 and has risen only 13% in those aged 18–25.
By Lola Augustine Brown
Photo: iStock.
