Marijuana is wasted on the young. Old age is THE time to consume marijuana. As a senior citizen myself, I firmly believe the government should provide free marijuana to all law-abiding citizens on their 60th birthday. Hospitals and clinics should also hand it out to patients.
Granted, there are certainly some younger folks who need to consume cannabis for medical reasons as well. But for the most part, today’s youth appreciates marijuana for very different reasons than older folks do.
Before you argue that everyone, young and old, needs cannabis, let me just say that I agree wholeheartedly! Younger people also face loneliness, depression, anxiety and a host of other cyberspace-related issues such as bullying, image building, and peer pressure. Yes, younger people also hurt, both physically and emotionally, and can also benefit from cannabis use.
Older people, however, need cannabis for different reasons. We turn to cannabis out of necessity rather than enjoyment (well, most of us do). Some of us have substituted opioid-based medications with cannabis. We have adapted marijuana at the tag end of lives, in order to ease the boredom and repetitiveness that old age and survival presents.
Unlike our younger friends who are naturally flexible and resilient no matter what their young bones are put through, older folks have developed a rigidity of muscles that can only be assuaged with marijuana. It is a safe and wonderful way to keep older bones as well as older attitudes flexible.
Cannabis Resources for the Elderly
There is no shortage of information about cannabis on the internet these days. You will find tons of cannabis news and information online. You can also find many other websites dedicated solely to the topic of senior citizens and the elderly. However, finding the two topics combined, cannabis AND the elderly, is a whole other story.
You will come across some cannabis sites that will occasionally post a story of specific interest to the elderly demographic. But when it comes to marijuana AND seniors, there is not much information out there. Leave it to us here at Mary Jane’s Post to compile a list of the top cannabis online resources that are specifically geared for senior citizens. Because the topic of seniors and weed is few and far between, we also will share with you a few noteworthy articles on cannabis and seniors.
So, buckle your seatbelts, Mary Jane. Get ready for the topmost informative cannabis resources online for seniors online.
1) Aging.com
The online resource, aging.com focuses on aging and the elderly, and how the elderly can plan for their later years. From aging in place to Medicare information to other helpful government programs for the elderly, this site has the information all seniors need to continue enjoying a long, healthy life.
You will find tidbits of information here on cannabis. I came across this gem of an article on the site, The Complete Guide to Medical Marijuana for Seniors, This is an excellent source of information that focuses on a 2013 study where four out of five doctors approved cannabis use for age-related disease management. The study, which included more than 2,300 seniors, states that medical marijuana can help the elderly with age-related symptoms such as pain, muscle stiffness, arthritis, cancer, and even
Alzheimer’s. Their mission is to help older adults who want to live independently, to be able to plan their finances, and take charge of their own health.
2) CannabisCheri.com
I spoke to Cheri Sicard, a marijuana advocate and longtime activist who organizes cannabis events, fundraisers and rallies throughout the country. A senior herself, she founded Cannabischeri.com. She is also one of the founders of seniorstoner.com and she branched out to start her own cannabis site which focuses on the topic of cannabis cooking and recipe development. Although the site focuses more on cannabis education, edibles, and women, Cheri is also mindful of the growing elderly demographic and its deep interest in cannabis. Cheri is aware that many of her readers are older with age-related health issues, so she is mindful of the ingredients she adds to her edible recipes. Her site also contains tips and advice on how women and the elderly can overcome the stigma of marijuana use.
A long-time medical marijuana patient herself, Cheri was a professional food writer and recipe developer before becoming a cannabis chef. She told me that she believes cannabis edibles should not be bad tasting or boring. They should taste good! Cheri is also a prominent author, with three cannabis-related books, The Cannabis Gourmet Cookbook, Mary Jane: The Complete Marijuana Handbook, and The Easy Cannabis Cookbook which was Amazon’s #1 new release in its genre.
Her latest venture, cannademy.com, is a “School of Cannabis” if you will. It is a cannabis source of education for consumers, which focuses on easy cannabis recipes that anyone can make, as well as informative articles for those who are still confused about cannabis and a free basic cannabis dosing course.
3) SeniorStoner.com
Publisher Mitch Mandell, along with Cheri Sicard as Editor in Chief and Contributing Editor Lanny Swerdlow, have created seniorstoner.com, a site that recognizes the unique needs of senior citizens and how cannabis can satisfy those needs. All three individuals are cannabis advocates and consumers themselves who dedicate their time to spreading the word about cannabis and its benefits to the elderly.
Seniorstoner.com covers topics on health, food and news and politics as it pertains to the elderly population. They publish great articles about growing your own marijuana plants and senior road trips to Las Vegas and Denver. with tips and advice on how women can overcome the stigma of marijuana use.
4) Patients Out Of Time
Okay, I’ll admit the name is a little morbid, but Patients Out of Time is one of the most comprehensive sources of information about older people. The site focuses on the elderly as they age and face age-related illness, and how cannabis can help. Their byline states that they “provide a compassionate, science-based education forum for the restoration of medical cannabis knowledge.” This non-profit foundation is committed to educating the medical profession and the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system.
While no one wants to think about getting old and dying, this charity offers a medically-based and compassion forum for medical cannabis information and education. They have an impressive and comprehensive database on the topic of cannabis and the elderly. They also hold conferences such as the Thirteenth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, whose central theme will be, “Cannabis: Whole Plant Medicine for the Whole Person.” Patients Out of Time also provides information that can guide patients to make well-informed decisions regarding the use of medicinal cannabis. The site thoughtfully includes links to directories of compassionate use groups that provide quality-controlled medication and directories to healthcare providers who are knowledgeable on the efficacy of cannabis.
5) Americans for Safe Access
With a mission to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, Americans for Safe Access has an extensive library of support and information on cannabis and the elderly. It boasts one of the most comprehensive lists of cannabis publications online, ranging from condition-specific reports to booklets.
In 2017, Americans for Safe Access together with the U.S. Pain Foundation collaborated on the End Pain Not Lives campaign to address the root of the opioid epidemic in the United States, and how it affects senior citizens. In spite of recent studies which show a significant decrease of opioid-related deaths in states with medical cannabis laws, medical cannabis is still not an option for patients because of federal and state legal struggles and inadequacies. Americans for Safe Access stress this crisis and urge our government to recognize and respond to medical cannabis’ important role in reconciling this crisis.
6) Seniors for Medical Marijuana
Here is another site dedicated to cannabis use among the 55+ crowd. Founded in 2015 by yours truly, Seniors For Medical Marijuana, aka seniors4weed.com is one of the few websites where you’ll find topics that combines both topics of seniors and cannabis. It provides important fact-based, medical and scientific information to the elderly and caregivers, with cannabis being the central focus. From health tips to recipes, to videos on how to roll a joint to interviews with prominent influencers, seniors4weed.com has all the information seniors need in one place.
7) The Silver Tour
Throughout the 70s and into the 80s, the Marijuana prohibition created opportunities for individuals who were determined to provide cannabis to people who needed it. The black market presented many risks that marijuana smugglers had to face, and Robert Platshorn was one of the people who took those risks. As a member of the infamous “Black Tuna Gang” in the late 1970s who smuggled roughly half a million pounds of marijuana into the United States, Platshorn served the longest prison sentence ever given for marijuana: 64 years. He served 29 of those years. Afterward, he authored Black Tuna Diaries, recounting his experiences in the cannabis black market.
Upon leaving federal prison, he founded The Silver Tour. Today, Platshorn is an activist, educator, and book author and founder of The Silver Tour, teaching senior citizens the benefits of medical marijuana. Platshorn also produced the popular 30-minute television infomercial, Should Grandma Smoke Pot? which Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard University called the best program on the subject of cannabis. The Silver Tour is a non-profit (501c3) National Cannabis Education & Legalization Network.
So, there you have it. All the information you could ever need about cannabis and the elderly in 7 unique websites, each focusing on how cannabis and old age go better together.
Cheers!
