THE BOOMER GENERATION LEADS THE WAY....AGAIN.
One of the largest and most vocal subgroups of the CBD-using population is people 65 and older. Better known as the “Baby Boomer” generation, those born between 1946-1964 are a very important cohort to the cannabis world, because they are the first generation in America that decided that the prohibition on cannabis was immoral, unethical, and flat-out wrong, and subsequently, they were the first American generation to take to the streets, courthouse steps, and halls of congress to fight for cannabis, and hemp. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude.
Part of the reason why our seniors are turning (or RE-turning) to hemp-based wellness is likely due to one key thing: they know the truth about cannabis and hemp. They know this truth first-hand because they learned it in their youth. No one is arguing that their initial use of cannabis was recreational: back in the 60's and 70's, cannabis use was as much a form of social protest as it was a way to party. Of course, as they hit middle age, many stopped using cannabis for various reasons—either by choice (“Got a family now, ya know...”), or by necessity (“Gotta drug test for work, ya know...”). But they didn't forget it. They didn't forget what back then were mere “side effects”: women didn't forget how it helped with menstrual cramps; men didn't forget how it eased their aching bodies. No one forgot how it helped them in many different ways, all without any long-term side-effects, even though their government said is was as dangerous and addictive as heroin or PCP. And as time went on, none of the “long-term terrible side-effects” of cannabis use ever materialized: no one's children were born with birth-defects due to cannabis use, no one's testicles shriveled down to the size of grapes (both actual propaganda angles).
And there is the key. Even after being told repeatedly that the use of this plant was dangerous, addictive, life-ruining, and pointless, they did it anyway, and only saw benefits, comfort, and health. This generation knew now that almost everything the powers that be had ever told them about cannabis and hemp was a flat-out lie. Truly, they had discovered what one of the key anti-prohibition figures of their generation—the late Jack Herer(1)—had been trying to get the world to see: The Emperor Wears No Clothes!(2) It was all a sham. Oh, and their sciatica was still bugging them, their arthritis was making it too hard to open a can of pop for their grand-kids, and they still couldn't sleep through the night due to their restless legs.
The world truly began to change in the new millennium thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of our Boomer brothers and sisters (or is that “Grandpas and Grandmas”?) throughout the 80's and 90's who fought for the decriminalization of cannabis on state and local levels, the allowance and establishment of medical cannabis in over 33 US States(†), followed more recently by the legality of recreational cannabis sales in 10 states(†), and now the nation-wide legality and commercialization of industrial hemp farming, creating the CBD wellness industry.
No wonder why one of the largest segments of the CBD-using population is our senior citizenry. They were the ones who first saw through all the propaganda, and said “What they're saying to me doesn't match up with my first-hand experience. I think I can believe my own body!” Fortunately, we can now say thank you for all they've done for us by ordering up a jar of salve and giving it to them with deep gratitude. They earned it, and they earned it for all of us.
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