Baby boomers want the peaceful pipe
An American government report claims that baby boomer pensioners will increasingly seek to use marijuana, especially where it can be obtained legally for medicinal purposes, which could lead eventually to the full legalisation of the drug in the United States (US).
The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration claims that the number of 55 to 59-year-olds in the US using marijuana has more than tripled since 2002 to 5.1%.
The users of marijuana – looking at the medicinal approach – have long claimed that it is effective as a treatment for the aches and pains of ageing, particularly for arthritis, and that it is also useful as a sleeping medication.
Florence Seigel, a married 88-year-old from Miami, Florida, listed her pleasures in life as red wine, newspapers, classical music and her marijuana pipe. She suffers from arthritis and walks with a cane and cannot understand why anyone approaching 90 could not use the drug to ease physical discomfort.
But US doctors do urge caution. They say marijuana can cause dizziness, leading to falls, and can heighten confusion in older people who may already suffer impairment from early-stage dementia.
