It’s not rebellious teenagers who are the fastest growing population trying marijuana these days.
Guess again.
A new study from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, a federal annual report launched more than 50 years ago to provide the most recent data on tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use and mental health in the United States. There are very different findings.
In fact, it’s people over the age of 65 who try marijuana more than any other age group.
This number has actually tripled since 2009, from 11% to 32% in 2019.
Researchers noted that the number of older Americans who try cannabis will further increase to 35% in 2021 due to changes in survey methods during the pandemic.
In the slightly younger demographic aged 60-64, more than half reported cannabis use.
“For older adults, trying marijuana for the first time depends on several factors,” Dr. Ellie G. Aoun, an addiction and forensic psychiatrist at Columbia University in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
These include “a combination of marketing efforts aimed at promoting physical illness, increasing cultural acceptance of marijuana, and marijuana as a therapeutic agent,” said Aoun, who is also a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s board of directors. added.
He noted that older people are experimenting with the drug “despite the lack of evidence to support its widespread use.”
More than a decade ago, only 1% of people over the age of 65 reported using marijuana in the past month, but by 2021 that number has tripled.
While Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize cannabis in June, the majority of adults in nearly every other age group have tried cannabis at least once, according to the survey.
baby boomers retire
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, “Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with an estimated 48.2 million users in 2019.” thing.
There are a few other names like weed, pot, and dope that are inspired by parts of the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant contains over 100 compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which can alter your mind.
It also contains other active compounds such as cannabidiol (CBD) that don’t cause a “high.”
William C. Carr, scientific director of the nonprofit Alcohol Research Group at the Institute of Public Health in Emeryville, California, said, “Cannabis use in the population over 65 has recently declined as baby boomers were reaching this age. It’s been rare until now,” he told Fox News Digital.
Although many older Americans have tried this drug, most do not use it regularly.
About 5% of those aged 65 and over and 10% of those aged 60 to 64 reported using marijuana in the past month in 2021, compared with 24% of younger people.
Many baby boomer Americans tried marijuana as young adults in the 1970s, when drug experimentation was prevalent, and in 1979, 36% of 18- to 25-year-olds had smoked marijuana during
But that number plummeted in the 1980s after President Ronald Reagan passed the Drug Abuse Act, which toughened penalties for drug possession.
This led older Americans to avoid the drug for decades afterward, in part because of the stigma surrounding it.
The need to “understand the unique problem”
But in recent years, legalization and the establishment of pharmacies have reduced the stigma against recreational drugs, prompting more Americans to try them for more practical purposes, such as sleep and pain control.
However, even though pain control is one of the most common reasons for using this drug, there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that this drug effectively treats most types of acute or chronic pain. The CDC warns that the evidence is limited.
“Therefore, research is needed to understand issues specific to this group, such as health problems and interactions with drugs,” Kerr told Fox News Digital.
According to a recent report, generations before baby boomers, such as the silent generation, who grew up before recreational weeds became common, remain skeptical of recreational weed use.
Last year, only 30% of people over the age of 75 supported legalizing recreational use, compared with 53% of Americans ages 65 to 74, according to a Pew Research study. is comparable to the national average.
Driving impairment, intoxication, unintended drunken effects
“After alcohol, marijuana is the substance most frequently associated with impaired driving,” the CDC warned on its website.
How marijuana is used can also put individuals at greater risk.
Edibles, which are marijuana-infused foods and drinks, pose a higher risk of addiction than smoking marijuana, the sources said.
It can take 30 minutes up to two hours to take effect, according to the CDC, so you can unknowingly overeat and cause poisoning or serious injury.
The intoxicating effects may also last longer than expected, depending on interactions with other medications you are taking, foods you have recently eaten, and the specific amount used.
Additionally, measuring the exact amount of THC is often difficult, and people may be surprised at how strong THC is and how long it lasts in the body, the CDC added.
Because metabolism slows down as we age and many older people take multiple medications, this particular group of people should be especially careful when using marijuana to avoid unpleasant and potentially harmful side effects. Be careful.
