The CBS News show Sunday Morning reports that the movement to fully legalize marijuana is being fueled in part by some of our senior citizen community.
Grandma and Grandpa are not just reliving the 60’s; they are finding out that cannabis is good for arthritis pain or diabetic nerve pain, and to sleep, with very little risk for addiction or bad health effects. Among other places, the show went to a medical marijuana club at an assisted living facility, where advocates taught interested seniors how to use marijuana for health benefits.
They also talked to other seniors who have incorporated marijuana into their healthy lifestyle routines, like yoga and Tai Chi. Some of the people interviewed said there is no justification for marijuana’s bad reputation – they believe that ‘reefer madness’ was nothing more than a political ploy carried to an extreme during the Nixon era. It led to marijuana being classified as bad as heroin, and outlawed the growing of hemp, which used to be a highly profitable crop.
New developments in medical marijuana include new ways to deliver the drug to problem areas. We now use tinctures and rubs directly on the legs, knees, or wherever there is arthritis pain, and proponents say they get more relief than from traditional medicines. Here’s another benefit: The news report showed that medical marijuana may reduce the need for opioid pain killers, which often are addictive and can cause harm with extended use.
Twenty three states have legalized medical use of marijuana, and four have legalized recreational use. We’ll see this year if California will legalize recreational use, with an initiative that will be on the November ballot. I’m real curious to see what grandmas and grandpas around the state think about that.
I’m Len Wilcox and that’s the Western View from AgNet West.