SAMHSA recently posted the results of a marijuana survey that reported that the number of people aged 50 and older reporting marijuana use in the prior year went up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent from 2002 to 2008. Marijuana which is used for medicinal purposes in 14 states is still illegal for recreational use. Marijuana (THC) is also still part of the testing panel when it comes to pre-employment and on-the-job drug testing.
Medical professionals such as Dr. William Dale at the University of Chicago Medical Center see the dangers that marijuana smoking can have as he believes that "Older users could be at risk for falls if they become dizzy, smoking it increases the risk of heart disease and it can cause cognitive impairment."
On the other hand 67 year old Perry Parks, 67, of
As the marijuana argument continues, baby boomers who are not quite ready to retire and are hoping for a new career or even part time work need to understand that smoking marijuana could jeopardize their chances of being hired as more and more responsible companies are enhancing their drug testing protocols in an effort to reduce negligent hiring and overall liability.
The FDA recently voted in favor of pushing a new formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride for approval. The new OxyContin formula is more difficult to crush or dissolve which will hopefully make it harder to be used as a drug of abuse . The FDA recommended that Purdue Pharma's application for a new, resin-coated formulation should replace the original version, which has been on the market since 1996. Randall Flick, MD, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic who voted to recommend approval of the drug said, "Clearly the old formulation is worse than the new, although I think the difference is relatively small," Flick concluded, "Hardcore abusers are likely to devise new ways to break down the harder tablet or figure out which solvents will dissolve it fastest, within 'day or weeks' of the product's release on the market."