Palm Trees

Increasing Potency of Marijuana Poses Dangerous Threats

The US government has reported that the average potency of marijuana, which has steadily risen for 30 years, has exceeded 10 percent for the first time, which is a serious risk to users of the drug. Scientists predict that the potency—measured by the drug’s concentration of THC—will continue to rise.

Mahmoud ElSohly, director of the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project, said that some samples have THC levels exceeding 30 percent. The project tests seized samples of marijuana for potency every year. ElSohly predicts that the concentrations will continue to climb before leveling off at 15 or 16 percent in five to ten years.

This is troublesome because high concentrations of THC have the opposite effect of low concentrations, and because young users may not moderate their intake and could possibly suffer from dysphoria (“out of body” experience), paranoia, irritability, and other negative effects. Increasing potency is also leading to higher admissions to emergency rooms and drug treatment programs, officials say.

Potent marijuana also poses a significant risk to the developing adolescent brain. “The children I’m most worried about are children who are heavy users…people who use it on a daily basis,” said Dr. Lawrence Brain, a child psychiatrist in Maryland.

The average THC for tested marijuana in 2008 was 10.1 percent, compared to 1983 when it was reportedly under 4 percent.