Potency of Pot Sold in U.S. Stronger Than Ever

[tonioseven]

Potency of Pot Sold in U.S. Stronger Than Ever
Experts Warn 'Pot 2.0' Has More Harmful Effects
By Maggie Fox
Reuters
WASHINGTON (April 26) - The marijuana being sold across the United States is stronger than ever, which could explain a growing number of medical emergencies that involve the drug, government drug experts on Wednesday.

Analysis of seized samples of marijuana and hashish showed that more of the cannabis on the market is of the strongest grade, the White House and National Institute for Drug Abuse said.

They cited data from the University of Mississippi's Marijuana Potency Project showing the average levels of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana , in the products rose from 7 percent in 2003 to 8.5 percent in 2006.

The level had risen steadily from 3.5 percent in 1988.

National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow fears the problem is not being taken seriously because many adults remember the marijuana of their youth as harmless.

"It's really not the same type of marijuana ," Volkow said in a telephone interview.

"This could explain why there has been an increase in the number of medical emergencies involving marijuana ."

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Adminstration, marijuana was involved in 242,200 visits to hospital emergency rooms in 2005. This means that the patient mentioned using marijuana and does not mean the drug directly caused the accident or condition being treated, SAMHSA says.

The number is up from 215,000 visits in 2004.

The pharmacy department at Mississippi has compiled data on 59,369 samples of cannabis, 1,225 hashish samples, and 443 hash oil samples confiscated since 1975. "The highest concentration of (THC) found in a cannabis ( marijuana ) sample is 33.12 percent from Oregon State Police," the report reads.

'THIS IS POT 2.0'

Hashish and hash oil concentrations are far higher, as they consist of processed plant product.

"Researchers and treatment experts have argued for some time that today's more powerful marijuana has more harmful effects on users. This report underscores that we are no longer talking about the drug of the 1960s and 1970s -- this is Pot 2.0," John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a statement.

Volkow said demand has driven growers to cultivate the stronger stuff. "It is the market," she said. "Like in the market you favor the best tomatoes. When people buy marijuana , they don't want a weak cigarette."

Volkow's institute has been studying the effects of cannabis, whose active ingredients are very similar to important brain chemicals called endogenous cannabinoids. "It clearly is addictive," she said.

If children and adolescents use marijuana , it could affect their still-developing brains, she said.

The report said more than 60 percent of teens receiving treatment for drug abuse or dependence report marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.

"Although the overall number of young people using marijuana has declined in recent years, there is still reason for great concern, particularly since roughly 60 percent of first-time marijuana users are under 18 years old," Volkow said.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 4.1 million Americans, or 1.7 percent of the population, report they use marijuana

[-Jayson-]

lol i dont know where they get that number of 1.7 percent of americans use marijuana, maybe on a daily basis. But willing to bet around 50% of america if not more smoke pot once a year.

Also i like how the stupid report says marijuana was involved in 242,200 visits to the hospital. SO they just threw out a big number and used marijuana in the same sentence as hospital to scare people into thinking because they used marijuana they went to the hospital. If you go to the hospital because you smoked too much pot your just a fucking baby. You cant die or even get harmed from smoking pot. But this stupid report is making it sound like you can.

[Damien]

1.7%??? There's more than that in my grandma's little dinky neighborhood. Heck, my old dorm alone was more than 50%. Given it was college, but still, very sad...

They need to crack down more. Stop letting people get away with it so easily. If it's aproblem then they need to take action but if they're not going to do anything why bother with the harshness of the law.

[-Josh-]

Years of research telling people there's nothing harmful about smoking marijuana, and these people think one falsified report is going to change millions of minds...hah

[Damien]

Yeah, but years of research also led tot he atom being the smallest thing. Until they split it open. Although there's nothing extremely harmful, it still is. Just no more than every other legal thing out there.

[TexasF355F1]

All their doing is upping the propaganda they used in the '20's. For the pure reason of making, parent's or mothers (mine), continue to believe the b.s spewed by the govt.

I'm not saying that there isn't a harmful potency out there, but more than likely they're laced with other drugs.

And these so called medical emergencies could be first time smokers who are wigging out or just having their first experience of smoking way too much.

Really the government has no one to blame except themselves for the addiction. And I still don't buy this addiction stuff.

I have to agree with Josh on this. I remember watching a special on PBS about marijuana. At the end of the documentary they went through a list of diseases and drugs associated with a number of people who have died the past years. Then it ends showing "Number of Deaths Directly Linked To Marijuana - 0"

[Oz]

What a load of garbage. Pot 2.0? What is that exactly? And what "more harmful" effect does it have than Pot 1.2?

Wouldn't an increase in strength mean that users have to consume less to get the same effect, reducing the amount of harmful carcinogens they are inhaling?


How many fatalities can be directly attributed to this "killer" drug?

0.
That's right - not even one. So they will keep re-hashing this same rubbish as a weak excuse for prohibition because the average "sheeple" swallows it hook, line and sinker.

[eversio11]

I think they have the potentcy of pot confused with the gullibility of the public.

[beef_bourito]

lol wow i guess everything i've ever read about pot is wrong, i guess it really is incredibly harmfull and addictive and stuff like that.

the only people that are going to believe this are the people that don't consume the drug. this isn't going to scare anyone away from it, it's just oing to make parents more worried and it's going to make people who don't use feel better about themselves.

as for the whole "they thought the atom was the smallest...." that doesn't really have anything to do with this. with the atom they didn't know of anything smaller so they thought it was the smallest thing. with this article they're saying that everything they discovered before is wrong and that it is addictive and harmful. the only thing harmful with marijuana is the smoke you're consuming, but that is the same with anything that's smoked, and if you use a vaporizer you get rid of the smoke.

marijuana also is not addictive. THC does nothing to make your body physically dependant on the drug. the thing people get addicted to is the high, it's a psychological addiction.

[Damien]

Originally Posted by beef_bourito

as for the whole "they thought the atom was the smallest...." that doesn't really have anything to do with this. with the atom they didn't know of anything smaller so they thought it was the smallest thing. with this article they're saying that everything they discovered before is wrong and that it is addictive and harmful. the only thing harmful with marijuana is the smoke you're consuming, but that is the same with anything that's smoked, and if you use a vaporizer you get rid of the smoke.

marijuana also is not addictive. THC does nothing to make your body physically dependant on the drug. the thing people get addicted to is the high, it's a psychological addiction.

Um...there's always more to be discovered. Thus the atom. The guys that say it affects or doesn't are also the ones that say we use only 10% of our brains. And I could tie that in but overall...statistics and results mean very little because later on they'll change.

Yes, cause we know everyone is so psychological strong that they can't get addicted to anything. And as I said before, it's no worse than a lot out there, but that's the way it is.

[mr_mushroom]

anyone who's ever walked into a hospital and said that they EVER used marijuana. there's your 87,898,984,182 cases or whatever.
lame.
IMHO pot should be legal and alcohol should not
for the simple reason of driving
when you're high you think you're driving 70 and you're actually doing 40
when you're drunk you think you're doing 70 and you're actually doing 110
1.7% psssh.
right.
in this day and age, even people who don't smoke don't see pot as this huge evil thing like heroin, which BTW if you smoke pot you'll be addicted to heroin 4 minutes later. it's like 'reefer madness' all over again.
there needs to be a poll that doesn't say who voted what.
then we'll see.
wtv.
</rant>

[tonioseven]

Kirsten Dunst uses "Mary Jane". Seriously.

[2.2 Straight six]

Originally Posted by mr_mushroom

IMHO pot should be legal and alcohol should not
for the simple reason of driving
when you're high you think you're driving 70 and you're actually doing 40
when you're drunk you think you're doing 70 and you're actually doing 110

umm... no.

whe drunk you can be perfectly aware of your actual speed. people just push the limits and go further than they should. driving stoned really isn't hard unless you're totally out of it.

[tonioseven]

I no longer drink and drive but when I was careless enough to do so, I was very careful; not that that's an excuse but just my

[MonsterBengt]

I don't know anyone who smoke, has smoked (that I know of), and don't think I know anyone you would if they got the chance.

Feels like I've said it before, but it deserves to be said again.