We do not typically think of senior citizens when the topic of cannabis consumption comes up. Historically, those over the age of 65 make up the smallest demographic among all cannabis users. But according to the AARP, cannabis consumption among its constituents is on the rise – and dramatically so.
A recent study conducted by the senior advocacy group shows that the number of older people using cannabis has doubled over the last three years. That is pretty significant. Equally significant is the reasons behind the decisions seniors are making about cannabis. If nothing else, the survey demonstrates that cannabis has gone mainstream.
Cannabis At 50+
The AARP study reveals that 20% of Americans 50 years old and older have used cannabis at least once in the past year. In addition, 10% report using it on a monthly basis. The numbers among seniors still don’t come close to their counterparts in other demographics, but a doubling of the numbers over the last three years is nothing to laugh at.
As for why seniors are turning to cannabis, here are the reasons listed by the AARP:
- To help them relax – 81%.
- To help them sleep better – 68%.
- To enjoy marijuana and just feel good – 64%.
- For pain relief – 63%.
- For better mental health – 53%.
One could make the case that using cannabis to achieve better sleep is a medical application. But since so few states consider insomnia a qualifying condition, the only specific health condition on the list is pain relief. The fact that 63% report using cannabis for pain relief should be no surprise.
The #1 Medical Condition
Pain is the most cited medical condition on medical cannabis card applications. That is the case in Utah, where the people behind the Utahmarijuana.org website say the total number of carded users now exceeds 83000. More than 60,000 of them rely on cannabis to manage pain.
It is reasonable to assume that a fair percentage of Utah cannabis users are seniors. And for them, pain tends to be a daily part of life. That’s how it works. As a person gets older, muscles are easier to strain. Bones are easier to break. And of course, osteoarthritis is experienced by nearly every adult at some point. Seniors living with arthritis pain daily is not abnormal.
I suppose a curious thing to me is that today’s senior citizens – at least those in their sixties and older – were teenagers during the Timothy Leary era. They grew up with the Grateful Dead and Woodstock. The drug culture was all around them during their formative years. And yet, they make up the smallest demographic among cannabis uses.
On the other hand, seniors are more likely to fully embrace pharmacological medicine without question. If a doctor says something is true, it must be so. And until recently, American medicine was dead set against cannabis. The senior generation just assumed their doctors knew what they were talking about.
It Is Here to Stay
The District of Columbia and 39 states have given the green light to medical cannabis. Among them, 18 states have also said yes to recreational consumption. When we combine these two realities with the growing number of seniors now consuming cannabis on a regular basis, it is clear that cannabis is here to stay. The genie is out of the bottle; there is no putting it back.
The number of senior citizens using cannabis has doubled in the last three years. The reasons behind it are less important than acknowledging the jump. More people are using cannabis than ever before. That is just the reality.