Seniors becoming fastest growing marijuana users
DENVER (CBS4) – Seniors are becoming the fastest growing segment of the marijuana industry.
According to a national survey, usage among adults 65 and older is up 250 percent, while adults 50-65 have also increased usage nearly 58 percent.
Seniors Becoming Fastest Growing Marijuana Users
“I’ve generally felt that recreational drugs of any kind were no nos, and I still do,” says 91-year-old Duane Kaniebs. “Cannabis seems to be somewhere in between.”
Kaniebs was part of a standing room-only meeting in Louisville meant to educate seniors on marijuana as a treatment for chronic pain.
Seniors Becoming Fastest Growing Marijuana Users
The World War II veteran who suffers from chronic foot pain says his opinion of marijuana has changed dramatically.
“All of these years I thought it was in the same category of any other recreational drug”
Seniors Becoming Fastest Growing Marijuana Users
Stratos, a Colorado-based cannabis manufacturer, is trying to reach out to skeptical seniors about using marijuana as a way to treat pain.
Seniors Becoming Fastest Growing Marijuana Users
“I think they have tried a lot of pharmaceuticals and they’re looking to improve their quality of life,” says Kate Heckman, a Stratos spokesperson. “It really appeared there was a gap in education for seniors.”