Cannabis use is not usually associated with older Americans, at least not socially. But according to recent surveys, cannabis use among baby boomers has increased exponentially over the last few years and is staying on the rise.
Georgia recently approved its medical marijuana program, where patients with certain qualifying conditions can get a medical cannabis certification.
Many of these patients are expected to be over the age of 65, and in this article, we’ll cover why retiring Americans are voting yes to medical marijuana across the nation.
Baby Boomers Take on Medical Marijuana
10 years ago, public surveys revealed cannabis use among adults aged 65 and older was less than half a percent.
Today, that number is over 4%, with a 75% increase in just the last 5 years alone.
In fact, women, college graduates, high income earners, and minorities all aged 65 or older saw the most significant increases in cannabis consumption.
This recent and dramatic increase in cannabis use deserves special attention for more than a handful of reasons.
Baby boomers, or those born between 1946-1964, have been voters for 57 years, although medical marijuana programs only started with California in 1996, just 25 years ago.
Public polls for the approval of cannabis legalization both medical and recreational have traditionally been very low priorities for this age group.
For example, in 1969 there was only a 12% approval for legalizing cannabis use, while 84% remained opposed.
And while approval ratings have gone up for all age groups, it’s traditionally been consistent across the board until 2010, when support for legalization started spiking in the baby boomer group.
One of the more revealing facts about this may be the link between adequate access to healthcare concerning mental health, and the availability of medical information on cannabis.
But more than likely it’s because baby boomers have taken special note at how cannabis can help some of the most common ailments that seniors suffer from, and to be fair, there’s an even longer list of symptoms that cannabis can help with.
Cannabis and Aging – Aches & Pains
Reportedly, one out of every five individuals take a pill daily to relieve aches or soreness, and baby boomers are particularly susceptible to the bumps and roadblocks along the road of aging.
Aging invites along with it new and worsening problems, unfamiliar symptoms, and increased risks for chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
The medical field has increased its abilities and technologies exponentially in the last 50 years, leading to more comprehensive healthcare, new surgeries and drugs, and innovations to slow aging and prevent diseases.
Baby boomers are perhaps more conscious of their overall health, although statistically this group is more susceptible to health problems due to their age and various factors of living.
It’s probably true that if you live long enough, you’ll likely experience some health problems, and baby boomers know this better than all of us.
Because of the increased knowledge of cannabis as a medicine in the modern West, more doctors have had both knowledge and experience with cannabis as a potential medication for things such as nerve pain, arthritis, and inflammation, conditions that baby boomers are very familiar with.
As an alternative to harmful synthetic or pharmaceutical medications, cannabis is often used to treat many of the common ailments that baby boomers experience. It’s likely that the circulation of this information in the Western medical field has led to baby boomers being more agreeable to pot.
Baby Boomers Break the Stigma and Adopt Cannabis
Because of the widely known efficacy cannabis has with common ailments that baby boomers experience, it’s not a far reach that this age group would become interested in an organic alternative to harmful pharmaceuticals.
It takes more than a few Cheech and Chong movies to dial in the medical background of cannabis as a medicine, and in reality, Western medicine has only been hyper vigilant with its outlook on medical cannabis for a few decades.
While some rogue scientists and doctors have been preaching cannabis as a medicine for years, in many cases they have been suppressed by an influenced pharmaceutical industry, or in some cases political campaigns have been launched with false claims of the terrible weed called cannabis.
Whatever the reasons, baby boomers are taking a new and fresh look at medical marijuana, and for good reason.
Boasting benefits such as:
Anti-inflammatory properties (good for arthritis)
Possible neuroprotective properties (good for Alzheimer’s)
Possible anti-tumor effects (good for cancer)
Alternative to opioids
Alternative to opiates
Natural & organic
Improved sleep
Pain relief
It’s easy to see why America’s group of 70 million people would look at medical cannabis as an alternative medicine for many common ailments.
And while baby boomers are changing their minds about marijuana, more states like Georgia are implementing medical marijuana programs to follow suit. It’s our hope that the growing number of seniors using cannabis will continue to rise, and prescriptions for opiates and opioids will decrease.
And for Georgians, getting your medical marijuana certification is as easy as ever, and you can even get $25 off when we start processing your application!
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
As a Georgia marijuana patient, you can legally purchase up to 20 ounces of low THC cannabis oil. For Georgians, this means getting the relief you need naturally and organically, and Georgia Marijuana Card is here to help.
Reserve your appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia