CDC: More Adults Over Age 55 Using Marijuana Than Teens

By Olivia Richard
Published: Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - 9:11am
Updated: Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - 11:42am

A new study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found marijuana use by adults over the age of 55 has narrowly eclipsed that of teenagers over the past the decade

That trend may play a role as Arizona voters decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use in November. Opponents of a Proposition 205 argue  legalizing the plant would enable the abuse of what they call a gateway drug.

However, spokesman for Marijuana Policy Project Mason Tvert said it’s time to try something different.

“Marijuana prohibition has been just as ineffective and problematic as alcohol prohibition. We figured out that alcohol prohibition was causing more problems than it was solving and we started to regulate and tax alcohol and that’s what we need to be doing with marijuana," said Tvert.

It is currently a felony to possess any amount of marijuana without a doctor’s recommendation.

Arizona’s Proposition 205 would allow people aged 21 years or older to possess or use one ounce or less of marijuana and grow up to six plants. If voters were to pass the measure, Arizona would become the fifth state to legalize recreational use of the plant.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been modified to correct the number of states with legal recreational marijuana.