Marijuana Potency Up, Says White House

New Report Says Drug's Potency Increased To Highest Level In Over 30 Years

(AP)  Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House.

The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 through 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 percent in 2007, compared with 8.75 percent the previous year.

The 9.6 percent level represents more than a doubling of marijuana potency since 1983, when it averaged just under 4 percent.

"Today's report makes it more important than ever that we get past outdated, anachronistic views of marijuana," said John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He cited baby boomer parents who might have misguided notions that the drug contains the weaker potency levels of the 1970s.

"Marijuana potency has grown steeply over the past decade, with serious implications in particular for young people," Walters said. He cited the risk of psychological, cognitive and respiratory problems, and the potential for users to become dependent on drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

While the drug's potency may be rising, marijuana users generally adjust to the level of potency and smoke it accordingly, said Dr. Mitch Earleywine, who teaches psychology at the State University of New York in Albany and serves as an adviser for marijuana advocacy groups. "Stronger cannabis leads to less inhaled smoke," he said.

The White House office attributed the increases in marijuana potency to sophisticated growing techniques that drug traffickers are using at sites in the United States and Canada.

A report from the office last month found that a teenager who has been depressed in the past year was more than twice as likely to have used marijuana than teenagers who have not reported being depressed - 25 percent compared with 12 percent. The study said marijuana use increased the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent.

"The increases in marijuana potency are of concern since they increase the likelihood of acute toxicity, including mental impairment," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the University of Mississippi study.

"Particularly worrisome is the possibility that the more potent THC might be more effective at triggering the changes in the brain that can lead to addiction," Volkow said.

But there's no data showing that a higher potency in marijuana leads to more addiction, Earleywine said, and marijuana's withdrawal symptoms are mild at best. "Mild irritability, craving for marijuana and decreased appetite - I mean those are laughable when you talk about withdrawal from a drug. Caffeine is worse."

The project analyzed data on 62,797 cannabis samples, 1,302 hashish samples, and 468 hash oil samples obtained primarily from seizures by law enforcement agencies in 48 states since 1975.

[rushman71]

honestabe8: Puff, puff......Uhhh, could you repeat the question?.......Oh, yeah......puff, puff......cough, cough, cough.......Uhhh.......I forgot.....LOL

In approx. 2 hours from now it will be 4:20 time!!! Unfortunately, my shiit is miles away.......

[honestabe8]

rushman: the drug warriors are liars, and they do not want to debate the issue because they know the public doesn''t support them. the ONDCP is an organization formed to oppose a change in the status quo, and it doesn''t matter whether they are truthful or not. does anyone truly believe that alcohol is less dangerous than ganja?

[rushman71]

honestabe8: Remember the scene in one of Cheech and Chong''s Up In Smoke, where the two of them and the guys in the band were all sitting around chillin'', dazed and confused. Then Chong says,"Man, this ain''t shiit!!!" That was back in the late 70''s. But what this article is not mentioning is that through out time, people have found better ways to make weed better. But the government wants us to think that this is making our health worse. Uhhh, and the pharmacutical drugs are healthy? Give me a fuqen break!!!

[honestabe8]

Squeez: Come on, be fair...many people have wanted to shoot lawyers at some point...when they are politicians, well, that is like two birds with one stone.

[squeezyr-2009]

Wow George, that is a lot of testing. No wonder you make such lousy decisions!!! You must have some 10th generation stuff kicking around huh?? Does this explain how someone can shoot a lawyer???

[o_nolan1]

I can''t believe this headline to be true. If those at the white house were smoking weed, they would have chilled out and of course would not have made these incredibly aggressive decisions!

[michellem99-2009]

Bush he saids the white house..Hey we don''t pay him to do grass..

[honestabe8]

I had read recently about how scientists had determined the fatal dosage of marijuana. Turns out the fatal dosage is a 50 lb. bale.....dropped from a 5th story window

[honestabe8]

rushman...i just came online and saw you are on...had to go roll one...and, boy am i glad this is double the potency that it was back in ''83..otherwise how would i ever become sooooo addicted...save me Mr. Walters..please, think of the children....

[rushman71]

There was a survey early this year over which country had the tallest people. That country was the Netherlands. Why do you think that is so? Because it is LEGAL to get HIGH in that country!!!
Legalize Marijuana!!! For a better, peaceful America!!!

Roll it up,
Light it up,
Smoke it up,
Inhale....Exhale!!!

honestabe8: yo dude, got any cookies on ya, dude. I''m fuqen baked, duuuuuuude!!!! LOL

[kansas1946]

AP) Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House.
*************************************

"a report released by the White House?????"

LMAO. Hmmm....is this the same White House that let us know about WMD''s, that Iraq was tied to 9/11...etc., etc. Just another scare tactic to keep the drug war going. A drug war that has harmed more Americans that all the drugs in the world combined.
Nobody has ever died from an overdose of marijuana of any strength.

[beehive21-2009]

Better then ever ,Huh, for you hay fever suffers try This ; take a juicy bud, pull a piece off the size of a match head ,put on the tongue,it coats the tongue with a oil, it eliminates the sneezing and watery eyes.try another application if symptoms return.After two or three applications your cured for the year sometimes for many years.The drug companies will not touch it as they rather you buy contact etc., that only works once.Good Luck, hope your cured .

[sfden]

*** I wish I could still smoke pot - but it makes me paranoid. But that''s just me. Then I eat everything that isn''t nailed down.

[mexinvasion]

Wow, Man. That is like really great, you know.

[honestabe8]

What''s it going to take? Time? It seems that this is primarily a generational thing. Walters is a punk, and I hope he finds himself on the business end of a drunk driver.

[honestabe8]

Jury Nullification

[revelation87]

I agree with killtheliars! Ill bring the b0ng! more potent means getting high is more "impotent"...maybe the whole world needs a toke, mellow out...take a break from the war :)

[bks59]

let''s see, a product that is flammable and can be used steralize instruments, is also safe for human consumption! it is easy to find dailiy occassions where an individual dies form alcohol poisioning, this is not the 20 year drinker, it can be anybody that consumes to alcohol, typically 80+ proof spirits, the alchol is absorbed into the blood, stream and organs, the organs simply go into shock and shut down; liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas and so, it is called mulit organ failure once overdose occurs there is little to no emergency procedure that can stop the process, alcohol is already absorbed iinto the tissue and organs and blood stream. sounds pretty unpleasant, huh and yet this is a legal product with no warnings on the label.

there are statics, simply google ''alcohol poisening deaths'' and then loook up ''marajuana poisening deaths'' there are no reported deaths-ever.

[texanforlogi]

You folks do realize that Reefer Madness, and the subsequent banning of marijuana was planned and financed by the cotton industry. Yes, the cotton industry, who feared that hemp farmers would capture much of the market that would otherwise use cotton.

[texanforlogi]

~~~~~~FRosty Mugs~~~~~
The best way to smoke weed..
Posted by cornbiker at 10:02 AM : Jun 12, 2008


I had forgotten this one. Thanks, cornbiker, for reminding me.
(And R.I.P. to yours who went too soon!)