The New Generation of Weed Smokers: Elderly
Tara A. Spears
Forget your previous notion of who is a stoner: weed is not just for the young any more. As the baby boomer generation is entrenched in old age, having a toke or two is no longer just recreational but a means of relieving pain and dealing with chronic diseases. Even if you never imagined spending your final years high as a kite, you might be advised by your doctor to do so.
“The people that I know who are using marijuana today, they’re not using to get high,” said Dr. Palamar. Retirement age folks are using cannabis for pain relief because it works.” As reported in a recent medical study on CNN “Marijuana use among seniors is not bouncing up and down like with other drugs,” Palamar said. “It’s a straight line up.”
Use was highest among women, racial or ethnic minorities, and seniors who were married, college educated, had mental health issues and had incomes of $20,000 to $49,000 or higher.
For pain relief, many individuals use a topical cream that contains both THC — the compound in the marijuana plant that makes you high — and CBD, the compound in the plant used in medicinal marijuana. CBN, Cannabinol is used to ease symptoms and side effects of neurological conditions, including epilepsy, seizures, and uncontrollable muscle stiffness. Another ingredient in cannabis, THCA, Tetrahydrocannabinol acid, is similar to THC, but it doesn’t cause any psychoactive effects. Its potential benefits include reducing inflammation from arthritis and autoimmune diseases. It may also help reduce symptoms of neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease and ALS. The ingredient, CBG, Cannabigerol, is thought to help reduce anxiety and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Marijuana has been recommended to treat rheumatism, menstrual pains, asthma, stomach disorders, neurosis, gonorrhea and even hemorrhoids.
While various parts of the cannabis plant has medicinal uses, those looking to experience cannabis’s beneficial effects often turn to cannabis flower, which can be smoked or extracted into tinctures and edibles.
Originally it was thought that marijuana is native to Mexico but some types of cannabis originated on other continents. There are many types of marijuana but generally they can be grouped under four main strains. Some of Mexico’s cannabis subgroups are:
| Types of Cannabis to consider for easing certain health conditions Strain Category CBD THC Conditions Acapulco Gold Sativa 0.1% 15-23% Fatigue, stress, nausea, pain Blue Dream Hybrid <1% 30% Pain, cramps, inflammation, insomnia, mental fog, PTSD Purple Kush Indica <1% 17-22% Chronic pain, muscle spasms, insomnia Sour Diesel Sativa <1% 20-22% Fatigue, stress, acute pain, mental fog, anxiety, PTSD Bubba Kush Indica <1% 14-25% Insomnia, acute pain, nausea, low appetite due to chemmo, PTSD Granddaddy Purple Indica <0.1% 17-23% Low appetite, restless leg syndrome, insomnia Afghan Kush Indica 6% 16-21% Acute pain, insomnia, low appetite LA Confidential Indica 0.3% 16-20% Inflammation, pain, stress Maui Waui Sativa 0.55% 13-19% Fatigue, depression Golden Goat Hybrid 1% 23% Depression, anxiety, mental fog, low energy Northern Lights Indica 0.1% 16% Pain, mood disorders, insomnia, low appetite White Widow Hybrid <1% 12-20% Low mood, mental fog, social anxiety Super Silver Haze Sativa <0.1% 16% Stress, anxiety, mental fog, low energy Pineapple Express Hybrid <0.1% 23% Mental fog, acute pain, social anxiety Supernatural Sativa <1% 22% Migraine, glaucoma, headaches, low moods |
If you have tried various traditional Western medical treatments but do not have improvement in your condition or pain level, you might want to consider ancient folk medicine which is cannabis. When you’re looking for the right cannabis product for you, keep these considerations in mind.
Know what you’re trying to achieve. What you’re trying to feel or treat will help you narrow your options. Talk with the cannabis dispensary employee about your goals for cannabis use.
Understand your tolerance. Some strains, such as Pineapple Express, are considered “entry level.” Their effects are typically mild and tolerable. Strains with higher levels of cannabinoids may be too potent for a first-time user.
It would be different if the medical community had an alternative treatment to offer. They don’t. As the Alzheimer’s Association itself points out “Currently, there are no therapies that can cure Alzheimer’s and the best you can get is that some drugs are available to temporarily improve symptoms.’
On the other hand, the CBD news could be another reason why senior citizens, not millennials or Generation Z, could be the key stoners of the future. A recent survey found that about 15% of the over 65s have taken cannabis within the last three years and about half of those use it every day. Most used it to treat various ailments, ranging from pain to depression and anxiety.] Given the way people typically treat the elderly, neither the depression nor the anxiety are particularly surprising.
Conclusion:There is research suggesting heavy or early use of cannabis can have long term, damaging effects on your health, but that’s a problem for the young. When you’re in your 70s or 80s, who cares?
