Although cannabis was highly stigmatized, by 1990s, states began adopting the medical benefits of marijuana, starting with California. After 15 years from the 90s, marijuana itself, not just the medicinal qualities, became legal for recreational use in Washington and Colorado. As of 2017, 29 of 50 states have legalized some form of medical marijuana.

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Senior citizens grew up during a time when marijuana was illegal in the United States. But if we observe the cannabis usage trend among seniors, it is on a steep rise. From 2006 to 2013, cannabis use among seniors increased by 250 percent. As per the survey ( in which most of the seniors were surveyed), 92 percent of medical marijuana patients say that medical marijuana has abated the symptoms of their serious medical conditions, including chronic pain, arthritis, migraine, and cancer.

Chronic Pain- A real hurdle between elder person and his enjoyment

Once you get older, you get free from all the professional and personal worries. But as soon as you plan to live your life to the fullest, you get shackled with many chronic pains. 75% percent of Americans, aged 65 or older, have chronic health problems, like diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, in addition to their pain.

Chronic pain is a common health problem among the elderly population. But is this a thing to worry for seniors when the solution to the entire problem resides in medical cannabis.

Also Read: Cannabis for cancer cure: Does it really work?

The best thing about Marijuana for the elders…

The best thing about marijuana is that you often don’t need to ingest it to extract the best medical results from the plant. They come in the variety of forms: rubs, creams, and lotions infused with THC that can go deep in your skin and attack a small, singular area of pain. Whether it’s smoked, consumed, or applied through a topical treatment, cannabis can help relieve acute and chronic pain by attacking the already-present cannabinoid receptors in our body. It helps relieve pain from:

Medical Cannabis won’t hurt your pocket much…

You will be flabbergasted to know the fact that senior citizens make 15% of the total population and they are prescribed more than one-third of all prescription drugs in America, and the drugs are often used to treat pain. Then a senior spends on an average $3,000 per year on prescription drugs alone.

Why not switch to a more convenient and healthier alternative: Medical Cannabis and maintain a good distance from the addictive tendencies of opioids. When compared to $3,000 per year spent on prescribed drugs, marijuana just cost about $650 and you are free from all chronic pains.

How marijuana becomes the Medical Marijuana…

Medical marijuana takes birth from pure, uncut cannabis indica plant.

There are more than 100 chemicals called cannabinoids that reside in marijuana. Out of all these chemicals, the two main chemicals in medical marijuana are used for medical purposes: delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These are the two chemicals which act as a magical wand and separates marijuana from medical marijuana.

However, sometimes the plants as a whole are used to help with certain medical conditions.

One common misconception with cannabis is that ‘it always causes euphoria’. This is the root cause why so many seniors are nervous and hesitant about trying cannabis for the first time. However, it is essential to remember that medical cannabis is treated like a pharmaceutical available in the medical cannabis dispensary and is not an illicit drug.

 So, make the full use of medical marijuana and enjoy its fruitful results in a longer run.