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[Celerity]

This message was self-deleted by its author (Celerity) on Sat Apr 30, 2022, 07:43 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[James48]

1. I'd like to go on record-

And say that I believe this article contains misinformation.

I keep hearing this kind of statement written:

“ By contrast, marijuana consumed 20 years ago had THC levels at around 5 percent.”

Bunk.

As a young man who attended college in the 1970’s, and also who has now, at age 61, sampled the products labeled today as “24%”, I can say with a level of authority that the marijuana today is NOT that much more powerful than was the Colombian Red, or Alcapolco Gold of 1970’s. In fact, the 1970’s stuff I remember as being at least, if not more, enjoyable. I simply don’t buy that today stuff is that much stronger.


Although I am not a connoisseur of waxes, I can tell you the weed back in the day was
actually better. Superior 70’s hash, and better tasting Hawaiian, Thai stick, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

[Voltaire2]

2. Agree.

This is just more drug warrior bullshit.

[Celerity]

3. Science says you are wrong (and you are doing a chalk and cheese comparison, as you quoted

“ By contrast, marijuana consumed 20 years ago had THC levels at around 5 percent.”

but then started talking about weed from 45, 50 years ago.





Mo Med. 2018 Nov-Dec; 115(6): 482–486.
PMCID: PMC6312155
PMID: 30643324
The Problem with the Current High Potency THC Marijuana from the Perspective of an Addiction Psychiatrist
Elizabeth Stuyt, MD corresponding author

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312155/

snip

Many people who have voted for legalization thought they were talking about the marijuana of the 1960s to 1980s when the THC content was less than 2%. However, without any clear guidelines or regulations from government officials, the cannabis industry has taken a page from the tobacco and alcohol industries’ play book and developed strains of marijuana and concentrated marijuana products with much higher concentrations of THC, the psychoactive component that causes addiction. The more potent a drug is, the stronger the possibility of addiction and the more likely the person will continue to purchase and use the product.

The active component in marijuana that people find so desirable was not really known until the 1960s when a research team in Israel found that after injecting THC into aggressive rhesus monkeys, they became calm and sedate.1 This team discovered that there was a receptor in the brain that fit THC like a glove so they named these receptors cannabinoid receptors. It was not until the 1990s that this same team discovered why we have these receptors in our brain.1 They discovered compounds produced by our bodies that fit into these receptors which they named anandamides, a Sanskrit word for “supreme joy.” These receptors are found all over the brain and are still called endocannabinoid receptors but that is not because they are meant for people to take in THC.

The primary problem with the current available cannabis in dispensaries in Colorado is that the THC content is not like it used to be. Prior to the 1990s it was less than 2%. In the 1990s it grew to 4%, and between 1995 and 2015 there has been a 212% increase in THC content in the marijuana flower. In 2017 the most popular strains found in dispensaries in Colorado had a range of THC content from 17–28% such as found in the popular strain named “Girl Scout Cookie.”2 Sadly these plants producing high levels of THC are incapable of producing much CBD, the protective component of the plant so these strains have minimal CBD. For example the Girl Scout Cookie strain has only 0.09–0.2% CBD.

The flower or leaves that are generally smoked or vaped are only one formulation. We now have concentrated THC products such as oil, shatter, dab, and edibles that have been able to get the THC concentration upwards of 95%. There is absolutely no research that indicates this level of THC is beneficial for any medical condition. The purpose of these products is to produce a high, and the increased potency makes them potentially more dangerous and more likely to result in addiction.

snip


Yes, Pot Is Stronger Now Than in Decades Past, Study Finds

https://consumer.healthday.com/b-11-20-pot-potency-soars-in-past-50-years-2648954978.html

FRIDAY, Nov. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana packs a lot more punch than it did 50 years ago, making it a greater threat to health, researchers say. "As the strength of cannabis has increased, so too has the number of people entering treatment for cannabis use problems," said study co-author Tom Freeman, director of the addiction and mental health group at the University of Bath in England. In Europe, more people now enter drug treatment because of pot than heroin or cocaine, Freeman said in a university news release.

He and his team assessed how concentrations of THC (the marijuana component that causes a high) has changed over time in different types of cannabis. They analyzed data from tests on more than 80,000 street samples collected in the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand over the past 50 years.

THC concentrations in herbal cannabis increased by an average of 14% from 1970 to 2017, primarily due to a rise in stronger varieties, according to the authors. They previously found that frequent use of cannabis with higher THC levels increases the risk of addiction and psychotic disorders.

The study also found particularly large THC increases in cannabis resin, with a 24% jump between 1975 and 2017. Cannabis resin is extracted from herbal cannabis and is now typically stronger than herbal cannabis, the researchers said. "Cannabis resin -- or 'hash' -- is often seen as a safer type of cannabis, but our findings show that it is now stronger than herbal cannabis. Traditionally, cannabis resin contained much lower amounts of THC with equal quantities of CBD [cannabidiol]," said study co-author Sam Craft, also from the addiction and mental health group at the University of Bath.

"However, CBD concentrations have remained stable as THC has risen substantially, meaning it is now much more harmful than it was many years ago," he said in the release. CBD is not intoxicating and may have potential medical uses.

snip



Potent Pot: Marijuana Is Stronger Now Than It Was 20 Years Ago

https://www.livescience.com/53644-marijuana-is-stronger-now-than-20-years-ago.html

Pot is becoming more potent, a new study suggests. In the study, the researchers looked at more than 38,600 samples of illegal marijuana seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over 20 years. They found that the level of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol — marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient — in the marijuana samples rose from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014.

Conversely, the level of CBD, or cannabidiol — an ingredient sometimes touted for its potential health benefits — fell from about 0.28 percent in 2001 to less than 0.15 percent in 2014. When the researchers looked at the ratio of THC to CBD, they found that marijuana in 1995 had a THC level that was 14 times its CBD level. But in 2014, the THC level was 80 times the CBD level. "We can see that the ratio of THC to CBD has really, really increased and climbed so much higher," said lead study author Mahmoud A. ElSohly, a professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Mississippi. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

In the study, the researchers looked at nearly 39,000 samples of illegal cannabis. The vast majority of these were samples of cannabis plant material, but there were also samples of hashish, which is the resinous parts of cannabis plants mixed with some plant particles, and some samples of hash oil, which is a concentrated extract of cannabis in oil form. The researchers also found that, among the cannabis plant material seized over the last four years of the study, there had been an increase in the samples of sinsemilla, which is a type of cannabis that is much more potent than other types of the drug, according to the study, published Jan. 19 in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

snip




Weed Is Stronger Now Than Ever Before

https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/marijuana/weed-stronger-than-before/

Stronger Strains

Weed naturally creates over 100 compounds called cannabinoids. Whether it is a Sativa or Indica strain, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are its most popular components. These cannabinoids produce Marijuana’s signature sensations of relaxation and euphoria. Over the years, the rate of these active compounds has risen. In 1994, variations of the plant contained about 4% of THC. Today, these amounts have spiked. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, the drug’s potency has tripled. The quantity of THC found in weed has soared from 4% to 12% in only a few years. There are even certain strains like sinsemilla (seedless female hemp plant) with a 15% to 25% concentration rate.

Concentrates And Extracts

Marijuana’s growing popularity is leading to the development of more potent products and new methods of consumption. Traditionally the plant was grown and usually smoked or baked. Now there are dozens of ways of extracting and using Cannabis to harvest its Psychoactive compounds or terpenes (aromatic oils). Modern science has discovered efficient methods for isolating larger amounts of resin (cannabinoids and terpenes). These new products fall under 2 categories; extracts and concentrates.

Extracts

Extracts are Cannabis products made using solvents (like butane) to extract resin chemically. The physical properties of extracts vary based on the type of solvent used.

Examples of extracts include:

Butane Hash Oil (Live Resin, Shatter, Terp sauce, Sap, Snap’ n Pull, Sugar)
CO2 Oil
Distillate
Propane Hash Oil (Budder)
Hexane Hash Oil (Similar to Shatter)
Concentrates
Concentrates are created by using a mechanical method to isolate resin and no solvents.

Examples of concentrates include:

Dry Sift Hash
Hashish
Rosin

Extracts and concentrates are more potent than a traditional Cannabis flower because of their larger volumes of resin. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, resins (the isolated active compounds of weed) have 3 to 5 times more THC than a Marijuana plant.




Marijuana far more potent than it used to be, tests find (2015)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marijuana-far-more-potent-than-it-used-to-be-tests-find/

This is not your parents' pot. Today's marijuana is more potent by far than the weed sold a generation ago, according to new data being presented Monday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The research comes from Charas Scientific, one of a handful of labs certified to test the potency of marijuana in Colorado, where recreational use of the drug became legal last year.

"We've seen a big increase in marijuana potency compared to where it was 20 or 30 years ago," lab founder and director of research Andy LaFrate, Ph.D., said in a video released by ACS. Based on testing in laboratory equipment, "I would say the average potency of marijuana has probably increased by a factor of at least three. We're looking at average potencies right now of around 20 percent THC." THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that acts on the brain to produce the feeling of being high.

"As far as potency goes, it's been surprising how strong a lot of the marijuana is," LaFrate said of the samples his lab has tested in recent months. "We've seen potency values close to 30 percent THC, which is huge." Compared to the 1980s, when federal officials say the level was about 4 percent, "that's a dramatic increase in the part that gets you high," CBS News medical contributor Dr. David Agus said on "CBS This Morning."

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says the potency of marijuana has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, but a level of 20 or 30 percent THC is even greater than the institute has reported in the past. As of 2012, it said marijuana confiscated by police agencies nationwide had an average THC concentration of about 15 percent.

According to the institute, higher concentrations of THC in marijuana could mean "a greater chance of an adverse or unpredictable reaction," especially in new users. And "for frequent users, it may mean a greater risk of addiction." Officials say more potent pot could also be one of the reasons behind a rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use. THC concentrations can be manipulated by marijuana growers who cross-breed strains for increased potency.

snip

[James48]

4. Two things-

1. You are free to believe anything you want. It’s a free country. I know from my own evidence and experience.

2. The “20 years ago” was the quote from the writer. I was referring to the 1970’s. I understand the 1970’s was not 20 years ago. It just seems that way.

[sir pball]

8. Of course the average strength has risen, folx seek out quality and it's more available when legal.

25 years ago there absolutely was high-potency flower, in the same range as today (15-25%), you just couldn't wander down to your friendly local dispensary and have your choice of a dozen varietals. You had to know a "professional" dealer who could get it, as opposed to the south-of-the-border ditch weed that every burger-slinging HS dropout was selling for $15/8th. But it still wasn't some unobtanium; the crews I ran with in highschool and college were discerning, only getting "dank nugs" - mostly classic strains like Northern Lights or Acapulco Gold but most assuredly the same caliber as the jars of Dutch Treat and Gai Pow that are currently in my freezer. Lovely little buds with colorful threads, sparkling with resin crystals like they were rolled in sugar. Now that it is readily available it's no wonder people prefer it, you clearly don't consume so the distinction is probably lost on you.

And extracts? C'mon, hash oil, which can be up to 90% THC, was a thing in my 75-year old dad's time. We'd dip cigarettes in it to get high at the bar back when you could light up.

I do find it hilarious that your articles breathlessly talk about the Potent Devil's Strain "sinsemilla" like it's the fentanyl of marijuana when anyone who's so much as puffed a joint in their life knows that the most basic measure of quality in flower is the lack of seed. It's literally step 1 in cultivating plants, you separate the males and the females. I haven't purchased flower with seeds since like sophomore year of college, 1999.

[LiberatedUSA]

15. So what if it is stronger?

I like having a smorgasbord of options. Pipe it the old way, later a gummy or two and at some point a puff of the wax. Limiting potency will just keep the black market going. Fuck this bullshit.

Edit:

I also enjoy having a vape as an option as well. So that is 4 great ways to do it. Keep them all legal and nice and fucking potent. I can handle it. I’ve long since gone past the newbie use stage of having bad experiences. I don’t care how strong the shit is, it will just relax me at this point.

[Phoenix61]

5. Hash isn't weed if you are comparing THC content.

Gold tasted better but it was no where near as strong as the stuff you can get today. That’s why we rolled it in joint that looked more like a cigarette not a weird little pinner. Sensimilla was about the same as what you can get now, one hit and done. Pretty little buds about the size of the tip of your pinkie with little red hairs. When you squeezed them it smelled like Christmas. I remember when Micanopy Madness made the front page of High Times magazine.

[obamanut2012]

16. 100% agree -- the OP contains "DARE"-like propo

The legal stuff is cleaner and smoother, and the high is also better, but it isn;t a "stronger" high at all. Even something like Black Tuna doesn't make me anymore high than the Carolina ditch/forest weed I smoked in the 80s and 90s.

[Emile]

6. As a weed consumer since 1969, this article is BS. I smoked some

mighty potent weed back in my day. Columbian Gold was some mighty fine weed. With all weed, you smoke until your high. If it's more potent, you smoke less. If it's less potent, you smoke more. It's always been that way!

[Blues Heron]

7. You are spreading drug war propaganda

variations on this article have been coming out on a regular basis since forever. The ancient Egyptians probably had hieroglyphic versions of this article. It was BS then and is BS now.

It is ludicrous to think that weed has quadrupled in strength since 2002. You cant possibly believe that can you?

[sir pball]

9. If we're talking about the average over 10k samples, I can believe it

In 2002 it was a bit more of a chore to find dank nugs, the majority was still nasty ass ditch weed that was half seeds and packed into such a dense brick you damn near had to grind it with a hammer. These days, there's a shop on every corner with a hilariously over-curated selection of well-grown, unfertilized flower, complete with THC content and terpenoid profile right there on the label.

But has a specific strain, say OG Kush, gone from 5% to 25% in 20 years? Fuck outta here with that Reefer Madness shit.

[Celerity]

10. You seem to have not read the article or are choosing to ignore what it is talking about

especially products called wax and shatter, have THC counts as high as 90 percent

[Blues Heron]

11. there have always been concentrates

nothing new about that or about the message in the article - be afraid.

Same THC in 5000 BC as 2022 AD- the chemical is the exact same.

Breeding programs to select for potency have been going on for thousands of years. It is what weed growers always do - nothing new here. There is nothing different in 2022 that wasnt already there in 2002.

There have always been concentrates - of course they have been doing that for eons.

Just for giggles check out some of the cannabis opium preparations from the US patent medicines of the late 19th century- 21st century millennials have nothing on those wastoids.

[Celerity]

12. The bottom line is, I am just posting news, certainly not pushing some drug war bollocks

A number of states with legalized recreational marijuana are now looking at the effects of high-potency pot and its potential link to psychosis, NBC News reports.

is what the article is about at the core

I am 100% for full legalisation of marijuana.

I also happen to dislike it immensely in terms of my personal use, BUT I do not let my personal likes and dislikes get in the way of sound laws about it.

[madville]

13. I think it just depends on the individual

It’s going to affect folks differently. After years of regular use, my 24 yo son completely stopped all THC use last year because it started elevating his existing anxiety issues (which ironically he was trying to treat with it), basically started causing panic attack symptoms every time he used it. Says he’s better off without it now. I’m sure it has mostly positive effects for many others though, everyone is wired a little different.

People have to learn their tolerance and responses to any substance and be responsible for dosing themselves correctly and/or in moderation or not at all if it’s having negative effects.

[wanda4rafi]

14. Been firing up doobies since 1971.

There is no doubt in my mind, what's left of it lol, that yes the strongest strains today are much more potent than what was mostly available in the decade after I began. But, there were always very powerful strains out there. If the fellow above, who was talking about his son's problems will do some research, he will discover that various varieties have much different effects on the smoker. there are some that are bred specifically to relieve anxiety.

About 25 years ago a buddy of mine, who had been a dealer in the 70s and 80s was moving and I was helping. When we moved large desk out of his office a bag of pot fell out that had been taped underneath. It was well sealed and when we opened it we found it was some Colombian Gold. It had been maybe 15 years since I'd had a toke of pure CG and man, as soon as I took that first hit the aroma and sweet, citrus taste, with spicey hints transported me back all those years. That afternoon I heard the songs and relived great times. It was the "gold standard" of my generation, along with a couple others harder to find like Acapulco Gold, Thai Stick and Panama Red.

Anyway, yesterday I finally received my three CG seeds after six weeks in the mail. I live in Mexico and they even made it through customs. I didn't believe they would. I've been growing my own weed down here, year round, for seven years. I live near Lake Chapala, the largest natural lake in Mexico, and at 5,100 feet elevation. It's a perfect growing climate. I've just used seeds I was given by various friends and have no idea what strain, other than what is indicated by the leaves. Almost all pot is a hybrid these days. I have twenty quart jars of buds stored and laugh when I remember the days of scraping together stems and seeds. I only smoke once or twice a week these days, because my wife says when I smoke I never shutup. I tell here I have a lot of stuff people need to hear, but she says she's heard it all many times. So now I just smoke before I play Blues harp with my friends who have a band.

Man, I am so excited to get these babies started and in 4-5 months enjoy the rare pleasure of CG again. The seed company also gave me three bonus seeds labeled 303 OG, which, after research, I found out is a strain native to Colorado that is bred to relieve anxiety, which I have very little of with my life here.

[obamanut2012]

17. This is Reefer Madness/DARE-level anti-drug propo

Come on. You are better than this.

[Calculating]

18. Reefer madness

It's madness, madness I say. Good weed has always been around. It's just that there's more of the good stuff, and less of the crap now.