Smoking medical marijuana now draw the older crowd in Florida
The percentage of seniors in Florida and in other states of the country who use medical marijuana is small, but it is growing fast. In fact, many elderly citizens use medical cannabis for diseases ranging from diabetes, arthritis, insomnia, to never pain and back injuries, etc. Doctors who treat elderly and/or older adults expect their marijuana use to increase as the state of Florida has legalized medical marijuana this past week.
Smoking medical marijuana is now legal and lawful in Florida. Physicians will now be able to suggest or recommend smokable medical marijuana/cannabis in the Sunshine State. In 2016, more than 70% Florida voters said “Yes” to the important constitutional amendment that would make medical cannabis legal.
Between 2018 and 2019, the advocacy groups for medical marijuana argued that the concentrates of medical cannabis may not work for all patients. Therefore, DeSantis’s legislation has ensured that it will now be lawful/legal for doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to individuals when they deem it necessary.
In Florida, on average, a patient has to wait for about 4-6 months to see/consult a physician. This means that healthcare facilities are not readily available to the patients except the emergency care. In this regard, the legalization of medical marijuana for patients and older adults, in particular, will have the advantage of not waiting to see a doctor in a long time.
For younger as well as older adults, medical marijuana can be a good alternative for many medical conditions, such as epilepsy, cancer, HIV, AIDS, glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating illnesses.
Some other conditions that physicians told could be depression, anxiety, endometriosis, chronic pain, arthritis, sleep disorders, premenstrual syndrome, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune diseases.
We are surprised to learn that a number of older people in Florida turning to medical marijuana are new converts to its usage. So much so, about 45-50% of those over 60 who use the drug articulated that they got started after the age of 22. Since Florida legalized cannabis/marijuana for medical use, the stigma has decreased, and we understand that this could be one of the reasons that reports of medical marijuana use are on the rise.
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As attitudes towards marijuana shift, it is worth knowing that the fastest-growing groups of individuals are over 55 years old – and the popularity of marijuana among seniors in the state of Florida is beginning to change the experience of old age.
Attractive discreet products such as “elegant vape pens” have helped de-stigmatize the use of marijuana among older adults. We think that legalization seems to make the non-users seems less judgmental, perhaps a little less scared of it.
Older adults using medical marijuana today are not your parent’ grandparents. This generation is now in its sixties or seventies. Likewise, they have been around long enough to realize marijuana is not going to kill them, as well as being more open to the possibilities it will come with many health benefits. Meanwhile, dispensaries and medical marijuana doctors in Florida cater to older clients with shuttle buses and discounts.
If you are interested in seeing a Florida marijuana doctor, please contact our offices today or visit our get started now page on our website.
