Marijuana usage on the rise among baby boomers
12A recent study published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal indicates that members of the baby boomer generation have doubled their marijuana usage since 2006.
In concrete numbers, 9% of adults between the ages of 50 and 64 reported using marijuana in the past year (55% of them stated they’ve tried it at least once in their lives). 3% of adults aged 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past year (with 22% of them admitted to having tried it at least once in their lives).
In total, 17,608 adults participated in the study which was run by dr. Benjamin Han and Dr. Joseph Palamar from the New York University. Since 1971, the survey has been conducted on an annual basis across 50 states.
The participants received various questions about their tobacco, drug, and alcohol usage, as well as those pertaining to their general state of health.
The baby boomer generation, in particular, consists of individuals born anywhere between 1946 and 1964. The study concluded that marijuana usage is getting more common among older individuals. At the same time, it found that users are also at high risk for using other types of drugs.
The baby boomer generation seems to be more open minded about marijuana use, which Dr. Palamar and Dr. Han don’t find too surprising. Even though the current marijuana users seem to belong to the younger adult generation, the baby boomer generation has had more experience with marijuana compared to other generations.
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