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Older Americans favour pot for medical use
Author: Associated Press, Edmonton Journal (CN AB), 12-19-04

WASHINGTON - Nearly three-fourths of older Americans support legalizing marijuana for medical use, according to a poll done for the country'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 centre 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.

Overall, 72 per cent of respondents agreed "adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a physician recommends it."

Though 69 per cent of those age 70 and older said they support legal medical marijuana use, less than half agreed it has medical benefits.

Seventy per cent of respondents age 45-49 said they believe in the medical benefits of pot, as did 59 per cent of those in the 50-69-year-old age group.