Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers' Collective Cannabis Consumption Is Increasing Sales Nationwide

Baby Boomers' Collective Cannabis Consumption Is Increasing Sales Nationwide

It seems as though business is a boomer for the cannabis department. Over the last five years, there has been a steady ascension in marijuana use among the Baby Boomer generation, which has been radically driving sales numbers.

The older generation, people now between the age of 70-90, were young adults during the ‘60s or the hippie era. The government and its propaganda heavily influenced their exposure to marijuana. They were remarkably against the idea of cannabis, and many followed the anti-drug propaganda stringently throughout much of their lives, even as times, science, and culture changed.

This next information is essential, though, to why so many Baby Boomers may be vibing so hard with cannabis after all this time of carefully avoiding it: We now understand that the endocannabinoid system (ECS), discovered in the 1990s, fully maturates at age 25 – AKA the age Boomers were around when anti-cannabis rhetoric was swirling through the nation. After that, our endogenous cannabinoid production (yup, our bodies produce endogenous cannabinoids which fuel our ECSs) diminishes greatly. The ECS assists in maintaining homeostasis in the body and virtually plays a part in every one of our central systems. Now imagine not replenishing this system for 50 years. 

It would be akin to having a severe vitamin deficiency and how it negatively affects one’s health. If those vitamins were replenished, you would think that it would show a notable improvement in your health. The crazy part is, it does! Older folks are feeling the effects of having their endocannabinoid systems replenished with phytocannabinoids that act very similarly to our endocannabinoids. Elderly people are reporting that they “feel more energized,” “can sleep better,” “eat better,” “better mood,” “reduced pain”– all due to their endocannabinoid system starting to function normally again. 

Those improved functions are part of the reason why we’re seeing more silver-haired patients consuming marijuana at an increased rate. The second primary reason comes down to age. Currently, in the U.S., the average “Death Age” is around 74 years, meaning the average person alive today was born after 1947. In short, as time goes on, people begin to age out of the prohibition era.

It’ll be a long while until we have a generation of older adults who never saw prohibition, likely around the years 2090-2100, considering the possibility of legalization occurring globally over the next five to ten years. Therefore, as more time passes, we can only expect more people within the age group to become more open to medical marijuana. One thing’s for sure, one of the fastest-growing demographics within the marijuana industry is older generations.

Right now, the vast majority of marketing efforts are aimed towards the average cannabis user – AKA people between the ages of 25-45. Although, as time goes on, we can expect to see a greater emphasis on this newly created demographic, considering that older people take far more medication than younger people. The average older person ingests around five prescriptions on a regular basis, and the average nursing patient takes an average of seven medicines at any given time.

Many patients who switch to marijuana manage to reduce their intake of these various medications. In a few cases – primarily when it comes to anxiety medications, pain medications, and similar prescriptions – marijuana can substitute these entirely. With all the medical advances and societal changes, it’s great to see older people come around to trying out cannabis for their medical ailments and to help improve their health. Whether they’re learning how to roll for the first time or simply packaging a classic Old Man’s weed bowl (named for the classic shape that’s reminiscent of pipes our grandfathers and older generations, in general, would smoke tobacco in) with ground flower, we’re glad to hear cannabis has been a positive thing for this particular demographic.

Reading next

Colorado-Based Native Roots Cannabis Offering $0.01 Joints To Voters Through Election Day
Cannabis Advocacy Group’s Report Calls For U.K. To Embrace Medical Cannabis

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.