Recently I got an excited phone call from my sister who lives in northern California.
“The seniors in Rossmoor are all scoring weed!” she cried. “Pot! Marijuana!” I felt baffled and slightly insulted at her need to define it.
With a little research, I discovered that a local journalist up there had caught wind of the establishment of The Rossmoor Medical Marijuana Education and Support Club. Clearly, knowing that Rossmoor is a senior citizen community of 10,000 near Walnut Creek, California with an average resident age of 76, this journalist saw a story.
And perhaps something exciting DOES dwell behind thriving 250-member club.
While neither the AARP nor the Marijuana Policy Project has studies or solid facts about cannabis use by seniors, the scuttlebutt around Rossmoor is that growers may outnumber users. One resident confessed,
“Oh, sure, I’ve got a plant. A lot of people here do.” She requested the journalist withhold her name.
The Facts:
According to the California Department of Public Health, any of the following medical conditions, along with a note from a willing doctor, can qualify a marijuana seeker for an MMIC or Medical Marijuana Identification Card, a.k.a., a pot card.
AIDS; anorexia; arthritis; cachexia (wasting syndrome); cancer; chronic pain; glaucoma; migraine; persistent muscle spasms (i.e., spasms associated with multiple sclerosis); seizures (i.e., epileptic seizures); severe nausea; any other chronic or persistent medical symptom that either substantially limits a person’s ability to conduct one or more of major life activities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The seniors at Rossmoor are using it for arthritis, anxiety, chronic pain, and as an appetite stimulant. Most get their “stash” from the Oakland medical marijuana dispensary, rather than any corner dealer. Individuals the reporter talked to explained that there were far more users in Rossmoor that have written their names in the The Rossmoor Medical Marijuana Education and Support Club’s roster.
Organized Senior Marijuana Movements Moving South
The Bay Area isn’t the only California town where pot prevails.
Orange County’s Laguna Woods Village —”Leisure World” until a few years ago— have organized to facilitate pot accessibility. The administration has agreed to look the other way as residents connect with Humboldt County growers and establish a streamlined a distribution network.
And then, here it is folks, right in our own back yard. Eaze, a start-up medical marijuana delivery service which delivers marijuana to those with the MMIC, sees opportunity in San Diego. Already well established in the Bay Area and serving the Rossmoor community, Eaze begins a pilot program here within the next few months. “There’s definitely an untapped market there,” said Eaze spokeswoman Caroline Vespi. Are we ready for San Diego seniors smoking weed overtly?
The marijuana legalization trend lines have crossed.
The Times a’ Changing . . . Here in San Diego, Too
Since Love 2 Live is an advocate for senior health and happiness, we’re not sure quite yet where we land on the marijuana legalization question.
In April 2015 research into attitudes about marijuana in the U.S., the Pew Research foundation discovered:
- 53% of Americans believe the drug should be legal
- 68% of the American Millennial generation (90 million strong and more populous than even the Babyboomers) believe marijuana should be legal
- 69% of Americans believe alcohol harms health more than marijuana
Over the coming months, we will be studying both the benefits and dangers involved in senior marijuana use. We’ll be sure to report at this blog!
What we know now is, at the current time, “per Health and Safety Code Section 11362.77, a qualified patient or primary caregiver may possess no more than 8oz. of dried marijuana per qualified patient. In addition, a qualified patient or primary caregiver may also maintain no more than 6 mature or 12 immature marijuana plants.” This information is also from the California Department of Health and Safety.
Have our San Diego seniors earned the right to do what they want? Should they be held to the same standards all Americans are?
What Do YOU think About Seniors and Marijuana Use?
Are they old enough and have they earned the right to make their own decisions?
Should they have access to any and all means to treat medical issues?
Would more access to marijuana harm seniors, youth and society in general?
We would LOVE to know what you think! You can call us or comment here. If you need help with senior in home senior care, , do not hesitate to call 619-291-4663 with any questions. Follow us on Facebook and sign up for our email newsletter to stay current on senior care options and ideas in San Diego. You can even schedule a free, no-obligation in-home assessment.