What is the increased potency of today’s cannabis?
Marijuana has been used for centuries, but THC has become increasingly powerful. Largely due to the fact that many growers choose these strains. Marijuana is no longer the same as it used to be.
This is what causes the psychoactive effects of cannabis have also increased and with them the harmful side effects. This, coupled with increased worldwide acceptance and legalization in more and more countries, may lead to greater problems.
Tenfold increase in THC
There are some studies available suggesting that cannabis has become increasingly potent. In the United States, some of this data comes from the Potency Monitoring Program, a project run by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and implemented at the University of Mississippi. The data show a clear trend: over the past fifty years, the average amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis, the plant’s main psychoactive component, has increased more than tenfold.
The resurgence is not limited to the United States. Another study (2020) shows that cannabis potency increased in other countries as well. In Britain, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and New Zealand, average THC concentrations increased by 1970 percent each year between 2017 and 0.29. Over the years, breeders have employed increasingly sophisticated breeding techniques, allowing them to select more potent strains.
Take, for example, seedless cannabis, also called sinsemilla. These unpollinated female plants are grown because their buds and flowers contain a lot of THC-rich resin. Seedless cannabis can contain twice as much as the regular seeded variety.
cannabis use
Another factor at play is that the way we consume cannabis is changing. Take edibles, vaporizers and other products for example. They tend to be much easier to fill with THC. Concentrates tend to have a very high content of this psychoactive component. This causes people to seek out products with much higher THC levels. This can lead to an increased risk of unpleasant side effects, such as vomiting, paranoia or cardiac arrhythmias.
Source: Newscientist.com (EN)
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