Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Feb 23, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A recent survey shows that there is an increase in the number of senior citizens using marijuana. Though one of the most popular of illicit drugs in the country, people who were in their teens during 1960s and 1970s were more exposed to it. According to latest reports, people who are 50 or older, admitted that they consumed marijuana when they were young. In the last year there was a rise of 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent in the number of marijuana smokers, in the senior age group, as compared to 2002 to 2008. The rise was mostly traced in people aged 55-59 years. Their use of marijuana nearly tripled from 1.6 percent to 5.1 percent in a few years.

An increase in marijuana use is expected in the years to follow. Marijuana was not a taboo for people who were in their late teens during 1945 and 1964. Some of them have continued to consume marijuana from their youth till now. On the other hand, some senior citizens took to the addiction after their retirement.

Some senior people who are suffering from some kind of illness said that none of the drugs could help them overcome it except marijuana. Perry Parks, a 67-year-old Army pilot said he suffered severe pain from arthritis and degenerative disc disease. He tried all kinds of medicines, but nothing helped. 2 years back, he started using marijuana which he had tried during his college days. He said, it really worked and added, “I am essentially pain free.” Some of the people who are more than 50 years prefer marijuana to sleeping pills. They admit that despite taking sleeping pills, they could not sleep. However, marijuana worked wonders.