Eydawn Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35519187/ns/health-aging/ I think the article itself puts it best, so I'll just copy and paste here. Is this something you've considered while treating elderly patients, especially those with chronic pain? Has it ever come up in your area? What's your opinion on it? Pot use among seniors goes up as boomers age Gray-haired stoners turn to marijuana to relieve many problems of aging Perry Parks Chuck Burton / AP MIAMI, Florida - In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of wine. A copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana. The use of the U.S.'s most popular illicit drug is growing among retirees as the massive generation of baby boomers who came of age in the 1960s and '70s grows older. The number of people aged 50 and older reporting marijuana use in the prior year went up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent from 2002 to 2008, according to surveys from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here The rise was most dramatic among 55- to 59-year-olds, whose reported marijuana use more than tripled from 1.6 percent in 2002 to 5.1 percent. Observers expect further increases as 78 million boomers born between 1945 and 1964 age. For many boomers, the drug never held the stigma it did for previous generations, and they tried it decades ago. Some have used it ever since, while others are revisiting the habit in retirement, either for recreation or as a way to cope with the aches and pains of aging. Siegel walks with a cane and has arthritis in her back and legs. She finds marijuana has helped her sleep better than pills ever did. And she can't figure out why everyone her age isn't sharing a joint, too. "They're missing a lot of fun and a lot of relief," she said. Relieves problems of aging Politically, advocates for legalizing marijuana say the number of older users could represent an important shift in their decades-long push to change U.S. laws. "For the longest time, our political opponents were older Americans who were not familiar with marijuana and had lived through the 'Reefer Madness' mentality and they considered marijuana a very dangerous drug," said Keith Stroup, the founder and lawyer of NORML, a marijuana advocacy group. "Now, whether they resume the habit of smoking or whether they simply understand that it's no big deal and that it shouldn't be a crime, in large numbers they're on our side of the issue." Each night, 66-year-old Stroup says he sits down to the evening news, pours himself a glass of wine and rolls a joint. He's used the drug since he first went to university, but many older adults are revisiting marijuana after years away. "The kids are grown, they're out of school, you've got time on your hands and frankly it's a time when you can really enjoy marijuana," Stroup said. "Food tastes better, music sounds better, sex is more enjoyable." The drug is credited with relieving many problems of aging: aches and pains, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and so on. Patients in 14 states enjoy medical marijuana laws, but those elsewhere buy or grow the drug illegally to ease their conditions. Among them is Perry Parks, 67, of North Carolina, a retired Army pilot who suffered crippling pain from degenerative disc disease and arthritis. He had tried all sorts of drugs, from Vioxx to epidural steroids, but found little success. About two years ago he turned to marijuana, which he first had tried in college, and was amazed how well it worked for the pain. "I realized I could get by without the narcotics," Parks said. "I am essentially pain free." But older users could be at risk for falls if they become dizzy, and smoking marijuana increases the risk of heart disease and can cause cognitive impairment, said Dr. William Dale, chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He said he'd caution against using it even if a patient cites benefits. "There are other better ways to achieve the same effects," he said. Pete Delany, director of applied studies at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said boomers' drug use defied stereotypes, but is important to address. "When you think about people who are 50 and older you don't generally think of them as using illicit drugs — the occasional Hunter Thompson or the kind of hippie dippie guy that gets a lot of press maybe," he said. "As a nation, it's important to us to say, 'It's not just young people using drugs it's older people using drugs.'" In conversations, older marijuana users often say they smoke in less social settings than when they were younger, frequently preferring to enjoy the drug privately. They say the quality (and price) of the drug has increased substantially since their youth and they aren't as paranoid about using it. Dennis Day, a 61-year-old attorney in Columbus, Ohio, said when he used to get high, he wore dark glasses to disguise his red eyes, feared talking to people on the street and worried about encountering police. With age, he says, any drawbacks to the drug have disappeared. "My eyes no longer turn red, I no longer get the munchies," Day said. "The primary drawbacks to me now are legal." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Now if we can get the rest of the adult population to get baked every now and then much of our societal angst will vanish as well... Just sayin'... Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwiology Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Now if we can get the rest of the adult population to get baked every now and then much of our societal angst will vanish as well... Just sayin'... Dwayne Testify brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B the EMT Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 "They" say that if you remember the 1960s, you weren't there. Having said that, I DO remember the 1960s. I also recall seeing one of the other teams in my area seeming to be very "out of it" after responding to a call involving a "stoner/surfer". Seems they took him up on an offer of brownies. Oops, wrong move! They were suffering the effects of "Alice B. Tokeless" brownies. At least the stoner/surfer dude owned up that he never told the team what type brownies they had ingested. The crew got placed off service, driven home (one of them by me), and given Line Of Duty Injury status for a few days, rather than have them burn off some acrued sick leave time. For those here never heard of "Alice B. Tokeless" brownies, they are laced with Marijuana! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts