YaHooka Forums - View Single Post - Older Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Medical Pot

DdC · 12-23-2004, 08:27 PM

AARP Survey Says December 22, 2004 - Washington, DC, USA

Washington, DC: Nearly 75 percent of those age 45 and older support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, according to a national poll of 1,706 Americans conducted for the AARP.

Overall, 72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "Adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it." Support was highest among respondents who resided in the West (82 percent) and the Northeast (79 percent), regions where several statewide medical marijuana laws have previously been enacted.

The AARP survey results are similar to previous findings, including a CNN/Time Magazine survey which reported that 80 percent of Americans backed the legal use of medical cannabis.

The AARP is the largest US advocacy group for seniors. The organization has not taken a political position regarding the medicinal use of marijuana.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500. A complete summary of national and statewide medical marijuana polling data is available on NORML's website.

DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6381

CN: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 22, 2004
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20060.shtml

Poll Shows Seniors Back Medical Marijuana
By ELIZABETH WOLFE, AP

WASHINGTON (Dec. 18) - Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the nation's largest advocacy group for seniors.
More than half of those questioned said they believe marijuana has medical benefits, while a larger majority agreed the drug is addictive.

AARP, with 35 million members, says it has no political position on medical marijuana and that its local branches have not chosen sides in the scores of state ballot initiatives on the issue in recent elections.

But with medical marijuana at the center of a Supreme Court case to be decided next year, and nearly a dozen states with medical marijuana laws on their books, AARP decided to study the issue. "The use of medical marijuana applies to many older Americans who may benefit from cannabis," said Ed Dwyer, an editor at AARP The Magazine, which will discuss medical marijuana in its March/April issue appearing in late January.

Among the 1,706 adults polled in AARP's random telephone survey in November, opinions varied along regional and generational lines and among the 30 percent of respondents who said they have smoked pot. AARP members represented 37 percent of respondents. Overall, 72 percent of respondents agreed "adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it." Those in the Northeast (79 percent) and West (82 percent) were more receptive to the idea than in the Midwest (67 percent) and Southwest (65 percent). In Southern states, 70 percent agreed with the statement.

Though 69 percent of those age 70 and older said they support legal medical marijuana use, less than half agreed it has medical benefits. Seventy percent of respondents age 45-49 said they believe in the medical benefits of pot, as did 59 percent of those in the 50-69 age group. And while 74 percent of all people surveyed said potis addictive, older respondents were more likely to think so: 83 percent of those 70 and older, compared with 61 percent of those aged 45-49. Generational lines also divided those who havesmoked pot: Just 8 percent of those 70 and older admitted having lit up, compared with 58 percent of the 45-49 group, 37 percent of those between 50 and 59 and 15 percent of the 60-69 set.

National polls in recent years have found majority support for allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether federal agents can pursue sick people who use homegrown marijuana with their doctors' permission and their states' approval. The Bush administration has argued that allowing medical marijuana in California would undermine federal drug control programs, and that pot grown for medical use could end up on the illegal market and cross state lines. The AARP poll of adults age 45 and older was conducted Nov. 10-21 by International Communications Research of Media, Pa. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Poll Examines Medical Marijuana Support
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20041.shtml

Canada Set To Authorize Prescription Use Of First-Ever Medical Cannabis Spray
December 22, 2004 - Ottawa, ON, Canada
Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada has issued a "Qualifying Notice" for the approval of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of natural cannabis extracts, for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Health Canada is expected to finalize marketing authorization for Sativex by early 2005. continued...
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6379

Canada Approves Cannabis Drug
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20055.shtml
GW Cannabis Drug on Path To Approval
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20051.shtml
CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives
http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

Illinois Nursing Association Unanimously Backs Patient Access To Medicinal Cannabis
December 22, 2004 - Chicago, IL, USA
Chicago, IL: The Illinois Nursing Association (INA) supports the use of medical marijuana by qualified patients, and is calling upon Congress to reclassify cannabis so that doctors may prescribe it, according to a resolution passed unanimously by the organization earlier this month.

"It is the position of the Illinois Nurses Association to: Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision; ... [to] support legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bonafide patients and prescribers of therapeutic cannabis; [and to] support federal and state legislation to include cannabis classification as a Schedule III [non-prohibited] drug," the INA resolution states.

The INA is the thirteenth statewide nursing organization to endorse the legalization of medicinal cannabis for authorized patients. The American Nursing Association (ANA), which represents some 2.7 million Registered Nurses nationwide, overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution in favor of the therapeutic use of cannabis in 2003.
DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6382

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano
of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500.
Full text of the INA's position paper:

"Providing Patients Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis" is available online at http://www.illinoisnurses.org

Senior Home Care by DdC
Cannabis Caregivers
Ganjameds FARMaceuticals & Extractums
http://makeashorterlink.com/?V24F12A75

Patients Don't Need Politicians or COPs...Buzz Off by DdC
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2A252AD5

12-23-2004, 08:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
DdC Decade Yahookan Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 2,088 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 47 Thanked 570 Times in 378 Posts	Older Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Medical Pot AARP Survey Says December 22, 2004 - Washington, DC, USA Washington, DC: Nearly 75 percent of those age 45 and older support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, according to a national poll of 1,706 Americans conducted for the AARP. Overall, 72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "Adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it." Support was highest among respondents who resided in the West (82 percent) and the Northeast (79 percent), regions where several statewide medical marijuana laws have previously been enacted. The AARP survey results are similar to previous findings, including a CNN/Time Magazine survey which reported that 80 percent of Americans backed the legal use of medical cannabis. The AARP is the largest US advocacy group for seniors. The organization has not taken a political position regarding the medicinal use of marijuana. For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500. A complete summary of national and statewide medical marijuana polling data is available on NORML's website. DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6381 CN: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 22, 2004 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20060.shtml Poll Shows Seniors Back Medical Marijuana By ELIZABETH WOLFE, AP WASHINGTON (Dec. 18) - Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the nation's largest advocacy group for seniors. More than half of those questioned said they believe marijuana has medical benefits, while a larger majority agreed the drug is addictive. AARP, with 35 million members, says it has no political position on medical marijuana and that its local branches have not chosen sides in the scores of state ballot initiatives on the issue in recent elections. But with medical marijuana at the center of a Supreme Court case to be decided next year, and nearly a dozen states with medical marijuana laws on their books, AARP decided to study the issue. "The use of medical marijuana applies to many older Americans who may benefit from cannabis," said Ed Dwyer, an editor at AARP The Magazine, which will discuss medical marijuana in its March/April issue appearing in late January. Among the 1,706 adults polled in AARP's random telephone survey in November, opinions varied along regional and generational lines and among the 30 percent of respondents who said they have smoked pot. AARP members represented 37 percent of respondents. Overall, 72 percent of respondents agreed "adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it." Those in the Northeast (79 percent) and West (82 percent) were more receptive to the idea than in the Midwest (67 percent) and Southwest (65 percent). In Southern states, 70 percent agreed with the statement. Though 69 percent of those age 70 and older said they support legal medical marijuana use, less than half agreed it has medical benefits. Seventy percent of respondents age 45-49 said they believe in the medical benefits of pot, as did 59 percent of those in the 50-69 age group. And while 74 percent of all people surveyed said potis addictive, older respondents were more likely to think so: 83 percent of those 70 and older, compared with 61 percent of those aged 45-49. Generational lines also divided those who havesmoked pot: Just 8 percent of those 70 and older admitted having lit up, compared with 58 percent of the 45-49 group, 37 percent of those between 50 and 59 and 15 percent of the 60-69 set. National polls in recent years have found majority support for allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether federal agents can pursue sick people who use homegrown marijuana with their doctors' permission and their states' approval. The Bush administration has argued that allowing medical marijuana in California would undermine federal drug control programs, and that pot grown for medical use could end up on the illegal market and cross state lines. The AARP poll of adults age 45 and older was conducted Nov. 10-21 by International Communications Research of Media, Pa. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. Poll Examines Medical Marijuana Support http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20041.shtml Canada Set To Authorize Prescription Use Of First-Ever Medical Cannabis Spray December 22, 2004 - Ottawa, ON, Canada Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada has issued a "Qualifying Notice" for the approval of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of natural cannabis extracts, for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Health Canada is expected to finalize marketing authorization for Sativex by early 2005. continued... http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6379 Canada Approves Cannabis Drug http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20055.shtml GW Cannabis Drug on Path To Approval http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20051.shtml CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Illinois Nursing Association Unanimously Backs Patient Access To Medicinal Cannabis December 22, 2004 - Chicago, IL, USA Chicago, IL: The Illinois Nursing Association (INA) supports the use of medical marijuana by qualified patients, and is calling upon Congress to reclassify cannabis so that doctors may prescribe it, according to a resolution passed unanimously by the organization earlier this month. "It is the position of the Illinois Nurses Association to: Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision; ... [to] support legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bonafide patients and prescribers of therapeutic cannabis; [and to] support federal and state legislation to include cannabis classification as a Schedule III [non-prohibited] drug," the INA resolution states. The INA is the thirteenth statewide nursing organization to endorse the legalization of medicinal cannabis for authorized patients. The American Nursing Association (ANA), which represents some 2.7 million Registered Nurses nationwide, overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution in favor of the therapeutic use of cannabis in 2003. DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6382 For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the INA's position paper: "Providing Patients Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis" is available online at http://www.illinoisnurses.org Senior Home Care by DdC Cannabis Caregivers Ganjameds FARMaceuticals & Extractums http://makeashorterlink.com/?V24F12A75 Patients Don't Need Politicians or COPs...Buzz Off by DdC http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2A252AD5