Healthcare
Senior Citizens Are the Fastest-Growing Demographic Embracing Cannabis
Your grandparents might be cooler than you give them credit for.
People like to rag on boomers for never changing, but at least when it comes to cannabis, seniors are ready to get down (and get high). The number of Americans over 65 who have used cannabis nearly tripled over a decade, rising from 11% in 2009 to 32% in 2019, according to a federal survey, The Hill reports. Additionally, over half of the 60-64 demographic reported cannabis use.
While other generations like to hate on baby boomers for regressive attitudes, in their defense, many of them did come of age in the 1960s and 70s, the era of psychedelic music and free love. While it’s easy for younger folks to assume they agree with the nonsensical (and non-scientific) Reagan War on Drugs era, our grandparents might be more excited about the recent ongoing legalization of cannabis than expected. At least, that’s what the data from this recent survey shows.
In addition to having been alive for the heydey of revolutionaries such as Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, who made some of our century’s most extraordinary weed-inspired art, seniors have another reason to use cannabis: they have health problems. Much of the over-60 crowd struggles with treating insomnia, pain, anxiety, arthritis, cancer, and more.
“There are many things that I would not do any more if I didn’t have cannabis,” Daniel, 61, who lives and works on a Wisconsin farm, told The Hill. “I wouldn’t do it because it hurts too much.” Uthe says he smokes weed “a little bit recreationally, maybe once a month, but way more for pain control.” As both brands of cannabis users know, the line dividing medical and recreational use is thinner than people often make it out to be. For example, it’s okay if using cannabis to treat anxiety also comes with a nice buzz, and it’s okay if using cannabis for the aforementioned buzz also helps your anxiety.
While they’re the fastest-growing demographic, boomers are still less likely to light up regularly than other generations. According to stats from 2021, about 5% of Americans over 54 and 10% of the 60-64 age group reported using cannabis in the past month, compared to 24% of adults 25 and under. However, these stats aren’t entirely reliable. While it’s important to remember that many older Americans aren’t as regressive as the “okay boomer” memes make them out to be, some may still be holding onto the just-say-no stigma inflicted on them by Reagan-era politics. And as a result, it’s quite likely that more seniors are using cannabis but staying quiet about it.
“Since 2009, we’ve seen a big increase in cannabis use prevalence across all age groups, all demographic groups, with older people participating in that, kind of for the first time,” said William Kerr, senior scientist at the nonprofit Alcohol Research Group, who also researches cannabis, told The Hill, adding that some seniors “are not admitting [using cannabis] on surveys.”
A 2023 Gallup poll recently found that half of Americans have tried cannabis. To put that in perspective, the same data collection found that 34% of adults had tried marijuana in 1999 and 4% in 1969. However, once again, this data could also reflect the increasing legalization and social acceptance of weed. It’s quite likely that people were using more marijuana in previous years yet only have felt comfortable admitting that to pollsters recently.
But fear not, younger folks reading this. You’re still at the forefront. Federal data shows that over two-fifths of adults between the ages 19-30 now use cannabis. The majority of such folks may live in legal states, demonstrating that federal legalization could indeed help fight the stigma regarding marijuana.
And even older people (around the age of most of our presidential candidates) have been slower to welcome cannabis legalization, not to mention actually consume any. According to Pew Research Center data from the fall of 2022, only 30% of Americans over 75 supported legalizing recreational marijuana. This reflects the views of a generation, aka the “silent generation,” born between 1928 and 1945, before recreational weed was a mainstream part of society, even if it was an illicit one. “It’s really the silent generation and every generation before that,” Kerr tells The Hill. “They weren’t exposed to it when they were young and had negative opinions about it for many years.”
Compared to their predecessors, Boomers are pretty chill. The same Pew survey shows that 53% of Americans between the ages of 65-74 age group support adult-use cannabis, a figure which reflects the national average.
However, while this data regarding open-minded, pot-smoking boomers is exciting, remember that it’s due to societal and legal changes. Just because folks who were adults during the Reagan era are open-minded doesn’t mean that the War on Drugs didn’t have a negative impact. Cannabis use plummeted during the Reagan era of the 1980s, with most boomers shying away from the herb during that time, as it was very illegal, harder to get, and came with more risk and fear than it does now. Sometimes, even with countless more hurdles towards legalization to cross, it’s important to remember how far we have come.
Source: https://hightimes.com/news/senior-citizens-are-the-fastest-growing-demographic-embracing-cannabis/
Education News
AIIMS Gorakhpur Reservation Controversy: FIR Alleges Fake OBC Certificate Used Despite ₹80 Lakh Income
A major controversy has emerged at AIIMS Gorakhpur after allegations surfaced that reservation benefits were misused to secure a postgraduate medical seat. A criminal case has been registered against former AIIMS Gorakhpur Executive Director Dr. G.K. Pal and his son, Dr. Oro Prakash Pal, over the alleged use of a forged Other Backward Class (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer certificate for admission to an MD course.
The case has triggered widespread debate within medical and administrative circles, raising serious questions about transparency and oversight in admissions to premier medical institutions.
FIR Filed on Court’s Direction
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the AIIMS police station following directions from Chief Judicial Magistrate Tvishi Srivastava. According to the complaint, the alleged offence took place on August 30, 2024, when forged documents were purportedly used to obtain an MD seat under the OBC reservation quota.
Sources indicate that the matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the Union Ministry of Health, prompting internal reviews and administrative action.
Alleged Income Far Above Eligibility Threshold
Central to the allegations is the claim that Dr. G.K. Pal and his wife Parvati Pal have a combined annual income exceeding ₹80 lakh. Under existing reservation rules, families with such income levels are not eligible for OBC Non-Creamy Layer benefits.
Following the emergence of the controversy, Dr. Pal was first removed from his position at AIIMS Gorakhpur and later relieved of responsibilities at AIIMS Patna. He is currently posted at JIPMER Puducherry. With the registration of the FIR, officials suggest that further legal and departmental action may follow, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Complaint Highlights Systemic Concerns
The complaint was filed by Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, a resident of Divyanagar in the Cantonment area. He alleged that the events related to the case occurred between January and September 2024. The complainant argued that misuse of reservation provisions by individuals in senior positions undermines the integrity of public institutions and erodes trust in the medical education system.
The case has reignited concerns over whether verification mechanisms for reservation certificates are robust enough, particularly in high-stakes admissions.
Impact on Medical Community
The allegations have sent shockwaves through the medical fraternity. Experts believe that if the claims are substantiated, the case could prompt a broader review of admission procedures and lead to stricter scrutiny of category certificates across institutions like AIIMS.
Authorities have stated that all relevant documents will be carefully examined before taking further steps. The outcome of the investigation is expected to have far-reaching implications for accountability and compliance in medical admissions.
Questions Await Answers
As the probe continues, several key issues remain unresolved: whether reservation norms were deliberately violated, how verification processes failed, and whether similar cases may surface in the future. For now, the focus remains on the investigation and its potential consequences.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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