Lighting up a fat one with grandma and grandad

[marmar]

:smoke:



AlterNet / By Daniela Perdomo

Why Growing Numbers of Baby Boomers and the Elderly Are Smoking Pot
More and more of the nation's 78 million Boomers are discovering they'd rather smoke marijuana than reach for a pharmaceutical.

February 26, 2010 |


Earlier this week, an AP wire article picked up a lot of buzz in the news-cycle, with a title and premise meant to shock the mainstream: "Marijuana Use by Seniors Goes up as Boomers Age." The article played on the conventional wisdom that as younger generations slowly replace the old, conservative social traditions are jettisoned. This may be true for issues such as gay marriage, where there are clear divisions among younger and older voters, but when it comes to marijuana reform, the evidence indicates that simplistic divisions of opinion along age lines don't apply for pot.

The AP article was pegged to a December report released by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It revealed that the number of Americans over 50 who had reported consuming cannabis in the year prior to the study had gone up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent in the period from 2002 to 2008.

This is supported by earlier polling results. In February 2009, a Zogby poll found that voters aged 50 to 64 were almost equally divided in their support for marijuana legalization at 48 percent. In that same poll, young voters aged 18 to 29 were the cohort who most enthusiastically supported legalization, at 55 percent. But overall support among all ages came in at 44 percent.

So who brought the average down? Don't lay the blame on the elderly. In fact, as early as 2004, an AARP poll found that 72 percent of its members (all 50-plus, with the lion's share over 65) supported marijuana for medical purposes, indicating their understanding of the benefits of legal cannabis availability. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/drugs/145808/why_growing_numbers_of_baby_boomers_and_the_elderly_are_smoking_pot

[Captain Hilts]

1. At minimum, everybody over the age of 70 should be able to smoke pot. nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Patton Oswalt has a pretty funny bit about that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJnCHy0p6n4

[zonkers]

17. I just watched his movie big fan, streaming on netflix. Pretty good. He is a great dramatic actor.

[Soylent Brice]

2. a half 0 is more than likely cheaper than most pain meds anyways.

[MineralMan]

3. Why is anyone surprised. Think about it. Who do you supposed

started the whole pot culture? We were smoking it when we were kids, too.

[monmouth]

4. Oh yeah man.....n/t

[MineralMan]

12. So, you want a hit off this?

It's righteous sinsemilla. Came in from Maricopa last week.

[monmouth]

25. Oh babe, too righteous...Many thanks...n/t

[RainDog]

5. because the truth is that pot is better for you than big pharma n/t

[leftofcool]

14. Absolutely!

[Echo In Light]

24. Just one of the reasons for the war against citizens re marijuana

[blue neen]

6. Traditional pain medications are very addictive.

Marijuana provides a better alternative.

[Lochloosa]

7. The first time I smoked with my 30 year old step son

he said it was really weird. My response was I have been doing this for 35 years. Not weird at all. He lightened up after that.

[ChiciB1]

15. I've Had The Same Experience With Both Of My Kids & Their Spouses!

We are very open about this, even though I rarely smoke anymore. My issue with it is NOT that I didn't like it, my issue is that it makes me WAAAAAAY to hungry! I have a FEAR of getting overweight, but that's just me!

I have 5 sisters and 4 are at least 50 lbs overweight, and since I have OCD, this is something I obsess about! Which is one of my GOOD obsessions, or so I think!

But we have smoked together and as long as it's smoked "socially" and doesn't interfere with their jobs or needs of their family, we're all "good" with it! They are productive, hard working and keep it under control and have for years!

Much better than alcohol any time from what I've seen from people who drink! Not that they're aren't people who can drink socially and handle that well too. It just seems that alcohol related crimes are much higher than any that MJ has been a cause of. I've also seen some very "ugly" situations develop where alcohol is in the mix! Not to mention problems that prescription drugs, harder illegal drugs and the like have done to raise the crime rates in this country. People who smoke are much more "laid back" than those who do other drugs, and I haven't seen any data to dispute this.

JMHO!

[janet118]

8. I always thought it would be legal by now . . .

Back in the 60s we'd practice passing joints the way we'd do it in pubs when it became legal. We figured since so many of our friends in law school smoked dope, it was a slam dunk . . . Now it's actually worse - drug testing, no smoking anything in public, etc.

[asdjrocky]

9. Big pharma hates this because they can't control or profit from it.

Cannabis can save the world.

[pipi_k]

11. Never really liked pot, but

if it could take away the daily pain from arthritis and FMS, I might change my mind.

:smoke:

[asdjrocky]

19. Works great for arthritis pain.

Best as a topical application, but smoking is okay too.

I've seen it help many, many people.

[Hekate]

21. Topical application? Can you make that at home?

I ask because the day after they make growing pot at home truly legal, some is going into my herb garden. The only problem is that when a friend of my finally talked me into smoking some of hers about 10 years ago, I had a hangover next day along with asthma, which are side effects I do not need.

Hekate

[asdjrocky]

22. There's a ton of recipes on line-

Here's one-
http://www.oregonmedicalmarijuanaprogram.com/cannabis_recipes

And growing pot at home is truly legal in many many states.

[tridim]

13. Go for it boomers! Just don't call your stash a "lid".

My ex-boss did that all the time and all the younguns would chuckle.

[MineralMan]

26. Yah, they chuckled, but who was signing the paycheck?

So, are you holding? Can you sell me a lid?

[tridim]

27. Actually this is the same ex-boss that didn't pay his employees for 9 months.

He still owes me $36,000 on my last contract. So, no he didn't sign my paycheck.

Maybe too many lids?

[DemoTex]

16. Don't bogart that Metamucil, my friend.

I'd hate to get the munchies with nothing but prune juice and bran cereal in the house. Know what I mean, Vern?

[KittyWampus]

18. my 2 friends got my grandmother to try pot many, many moons ago. She was very special

and a heck of a lot of fun!

She loved her highballs.

[Strelnikov_]

20. Hey, Oligarchs, ever hear of a marijuana fueled lynch mob?

Just a hint.

Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWhUqo9Aivs

[spanone]

23. i'm one of them boomers....when big pharma is ready to cash in on pot, it will be legal