Study finds Baby Boomers ‘more accepting of cannabis use’ over any other generation

A recent study has found that Baby Boomers are the most accepting when it comes to cannabis use over any other generation, many revealing they would even try it if its recreational use was made legal.

As part of the study, researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales examined data from the Trends in cannabis use intention around the period of cannabis legalisation in Australia: An age-period-cohort model study.

After pouring over the data that was collected from approximately 160,000 Australian residents aged 18 to 79 between 2001 and 2019, they found varying degrees of acceptance based on when participants were born.

The most prominent rate of acceptance of cannabis use was found to be among Baby Boomers when compared to other generations.

The researchers claimed they “observed larger increases in all cannabis use intentions among people born in the 1950s to 1960s than in those who were born before or after”.

“As emerging adults, people in this generation experienced a decade in which the counterculture movement flourished from the mid-1960 s to mid-1970 s across many Western countries including Australia,” they told Cannabiz.

“The social movement was marked by a revolution in social norms that were positive towards cannabis use. Living through this period appears to have influenced the attitudes about cannabis for this generation, making them more accepting of cannabis use than adults who were members of earlier or more recent birth cohorts.”

Coming in close behind the Baby Boomers were those born in the 1990s with researchers finding “there are signs that young people born in the 1990s to be catching up with the baby boomers in their intention to try or to use cannabis more often if it was legal”.

Although the recreational use of marijuana remains illegal, the use of medical cannabis became legal in Australia in 2016

Regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), medical cannabis differs from marijuana by refining cannabinoids, removing impurities and controlling the ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the desired element in recreational cannabis use.

Studies have shown medical cannabis has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and has been known to relieve pain and prevent or reduce vomiting.

A study conducted by The University of Sydney found that GPs support the use of medical cannabis as a treatment option for a variety of conditions.

“A majority of GPs believe medicinal cannabis should be available by prescription, with the preferred model involving trained GPs being able to prescribe independently of specialists,” co-author and research associate at the Lambert Initiative, PhD candidate Ms Anastasia Suraev said.

Researchers are continuing to test medical cannabis as a treatment option for ailments such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, non-cancer chronic pain and palliative care.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.