TAMPA, Fla., Marvin Yeoman, 74, had tried cannabis as a young adult, but for his wife it was new. “I never, never, ever even thought about marijuana when I was growing up — never in college, as a young adult or as a middle-aged adult,” said Rene Yeoman, 71. “It was just not even something that was on my radar.” The Land O’ Lakes residents had both undergone recent major surgeries, so they gave in to their daughter’s suggestion to use the drug to treat chronic pain. Rene Yeoman discovered she liked how edibles helped her sleep through the night and avoid the use of other medications. And as seniors the couple is in good company. “When I go to the dispensary, there are more elderly people in there than there are young people,” said Marvin Yeoman.mIn 2021 the proportion of adults 65 or older who reported recent cannabis use jumped by 18%, according to the 2020 National Survey of Drug Use and Health released in November, rising from 5.1% in 2019 to 6% in 2020. The spike comes on the heels of a steady trend of increased cannabis use among seniors over the past five years. What’s more, in 2020 more older adults also reported using cannabis sometime in their lifetime — a jump from roughly 32% to 36% — signaling a possible cultural shift in older adults’ willingness to open up about past tokes. “It’s accepted now,” Marvin Yeoman said. “You used to have to sneak in the back alley to purchase it, but now you can just walk right into the store and buy it, just like you would go to Publix or Winn-Dixie.” In Florida, people with a medical marijuana card can legally purchase THC products throughout the state. Both Marvin and Rene Yeoman have one. While they said it’s expensive to renew — costing a few hundred dollars every eight months — obtaining a card was simple.
420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 02/07/2022 19:00:00
Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/02/08/seniors-are-using-cannabis-more-ever