Pubdate: Mon, 19 Sep 2016
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Maryam Shah
Page: 8

MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS FUEL SURGE IN WEED USE

Pot use is on the increase among adults.

A recent U.S. study found that for the first time since at least 2002,
middle-aged Americans are more likely to smoke marijuana than teens.

And here in Ontario, Dr. Robert Mann, of the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health (CAMH), says they're seeing more people over the age of
18 sparking up the green, as well.

"We have seen marijuana use among older adults has been increasing
over time," Mann added.

The American study, released by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shows that marijuana use has gone up in the U.S. over the
past 13 years, especially among people 26 and over.

It found that only 7.4% of U.S. residents ages 12-17 smoked weed in
2014, compared to 8% of those aged 35-44 - marking the first time
since at least 2002 that middle-aged Americans have out-smoked teens.

In Ontario, meanwhile, just under 9% of Ontario adults surveyed in the
CAMH Monitor in 1996 said they had used cannabis in the past year. By
2013, that group had risen to 14.1%.

A likely cause might be a cohort effect, Mann said.

"If you started using it when you're a teenager, you'll be more likely
to be using it as an adult and as you get older," he explained.

"Some of those folks, of course, are hitting their 50s and 60s now, so
the use among those age groups is increasing, as well, because they
started using it maybe when they were teenagers."

The CDC study and the CAMH Monitor are not directly
comparable.

In Canada, the latest federal statistics on cannabis use come from the
2013 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey, which polled
Canadians ages 15 and over.

That survey showed that young Canadians, 15-19, and adults, 20-24
(26%), used cannabis more in the year prior than those aged 25 and
over (8%).

- - With files from The Washington Post
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MAP posted-by: Matt