Baby Boomers Turning To Weed En Masse, Say It Improves Memory And Mood: Doctors Agree, CNN Series Explores

Baby boomers are the fastest-growing group of cannabis users in the United States and also happen to possess half of the nation’s $140 trillion in wealth. As such, a bit more attention is being paid to this 73-million-member group among analysts and researchers who are asking why and how much weed their parents and grandparents are consuming. 

To answer one of those questions, seniors born between 1946 and 1964 (with their $78.3 trillion in assets) are consuming weed with great gusto, especially in the past 8 years when their consumption tripled.

Why? There's No Negative Impact

Scientists honed in on this demographic of pot smokers and found that consumption of whole-plant cannabis (old school style, of course) does not have a negative impact on cognition. In fact, the opposite is true.

A study done at the University of Colorado Boulder examined the effects of cannabis use in a group of adults between 60 and 88 with no history of alcohol or other substance abuse. 

Researchers found that while high THC levels can have negative effects on the adolescent brain, quite the opposite is the case with older brains. Indeed, senior cannabis users, compared to non-users, had significantly greater neuronal communication between the cerebellum and hippocampus. 

Age-related changes in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex cell-signaling system in the brain and body that helps maintain homeostasis, include a decrease in the number of cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain. This decrease correlates with increased levels of inflammation in the brain, which can lead to a loss of neurons in the hippocampus, the learning and memory area wherein we don’t want any neuron losses.  

"Low-dose, daily cannabis use after age 55 might effectively reduce the degenerative effects of chronic brain inflammation," said Gary Wenk Ph.D., a scientist not involved in the study.

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta Concurs

“Over the last decade reporting on medical marijuana, time and time again, what has surprised me the most is the optimism, the possibility, and the impact that carefully controlled cannabis can have, even on seniors, for a better quality of life,” Dr. Gupta said.

In the newest installment of "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper," Dr. Gupta will be presenting his award-winning cannabis series: “Weed 7: A Senior Moment,” that will explore the risks and benefits of cannabis in treating chronic issues such as pain, anxiety and Alzheimer’s disease in patients over 50. 

In the first episode, airing this Sunday, August 6 at 8 pm ET/PT, Gupta travels from research facilities in Tel Aviv to a senior living community in West Palm Beach, which is running an experimental cannabis treatment pilot program. 

The good doctor talks about how baby boomers are using marijuana for pain relief, better sleep, reducing anxiety, keeping their weight up and more.

Want to learn more about medical and adult-use marijuana and what the researchers are saying? Join us at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago on September 27 and 28. All information is available on bzcannabis.com