Drug Czar's Pot-Potency Claims Go Up In Smoke

A newly released report about marijuana potency undermines previous claims by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that the drug's potency has hit record highs.

In May, the media ran wild with stories of highly potent pot sweeping the nation, as the ONDCP announced that their testing showed average marijuana potency had topped 10 percent THC-level for the first time ever. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana.

"According to the latest data on marijuana samples analyzed to date, the average amount of THC in seized samples has reached a new high of 10.1 percent," reads the announcement by Gil Kerlikowske, the Drug Czar.

But the full report is now available and it shows that the 10-percent bar is only crossed by throwing hash into the equation. Without hash, the average potency was 8.52 percent. The average potency of hash was 20.76 percent.

The Marijuana Policy Project obtained the full report, which is produced by the Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project at the University of Mississippi.

Connoisseurs would enjoy reading the whole thing, which is available here, as it breaks seizures and potency-measurement into "Buds," "Kilobricks," "Loose leaf," "Loose other," "Thai Sticks" and other categories.

There is also debate over whether there is actually a problem with higher-potency marijuana, with advocates arguing that stronger pot means that users end up smoking less for the same effect, thus sparing their lungs.

If you find anything else noteworthy in the full report, let me know at [e-mail].

Read the report here (PDF).

Ryan Grim is the author of the forthcoming book This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

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Comments

[joebanana]

Ever hear the term "you can't argue with ignorance"? But you can laugh at it, and to me, the more ignorant, the funnier. And I thought john waters was funny, this guy rolls me. Where do we keep coming up with these mental midgets? "Pathological lier" isn't a very good description for someone that makes the kind of money this clown makes. Bull sh*t artistry has a huge market in our government. We need to pass a bill that makes lying by a government official a capitol crime, and public beheading's might add to the impact. At least life without possibility of parole, mandatory.

[rabrophy]

The anti-Pot warriors are just trying to protect their jobs. "Reefer Madness" anyone?

[BumpyKnight]

The effect of smoking cannabis is virtually immediate. People tend to smoke until they are "lit", explaining the lack of overdoses.
For the same reason, cannabis with higher potency may actually result in less lung damage.

[kagenin]

To overdose on pot is impossible.

If you smoke too much, you harmlessly pass out. You sleep it off for a few, and wake up really hungry.

There has never been a documented THC overdose. Ever. I defy anyone to cite a case.

[derekc06]

You'd have to smoke 1500 pounds of pot or a third of your body weight (depending on which U.S. Gov. source you believe) in under 15 minutes to overdose.

[worldlyhick]

These prohibitionists are not going to be swayed by logic or research. What they really want to do is identify those who don't fall into line, and punish them. This is at heart an issue of social justice and human rights.

It's going to take a powerful political movement and people speaking out with courage about this issue. Representative Cohen (D-Tennessee) has shown courage speaking out on this issue. He and others who show integrity regarding cannabis policy need to be supported and encouraged.

I resent greatly my tax money going to criminalize and disenfranchise people for use of cannabis.

[Sarah Katherine]

Well said. It does take courage. And it does take us, no one is going to fight this on our behalf.

There is a group called "Safer" who is doing a great job, coming at this from the standpoint of marijuana clearly being a safer alternative for responsible adults, to alcohol:
http://www.safercolorado.org/safer-doc

And "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition", focusing on the negative effects of prohibition:
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php

[mick7191]

There's still hash out there?

[The Political Moose]

It seems blatantly clear that the anti-marijuana lobby has kept with the same tactics since its inception. Every time the public asks why pot is illegal, they come up with a new misleading, untrue theory and stay under the radar until the public is pacified. And the marijuana lobby simply isn’t powerful enough to keep the debate in serious public discussion.
If the government is ever going to stop exploiting marijuana users, sympathizers need to become more radicalized. Did the blacks stop discrimination by arguing the logics of equality? No. They stood up, got in everybody’s face and screamed, we’re not going to take it anymore.
My advice to sympathizers is to stand up, even if it is not socially acceptable to do so, anytime someone is talking down on marijuana users or marijuana itself. People need to have their face shoved in it.

[woodcut]

Me = severe alcoholic 15 years. Sober now, but can't have any booze at all - I'd drink it all at once.
Yet, I have pot, & brownies, 2-month supply. I'm not addicted to pot. It's there if i need it.
Odd, heh?
===
BTW, to get medicinal marijuana in SF/ CA you need a prescription from a doctor. Then you apply for a card - takes a few weeks. Card is good for one year, cost is between 30 and 120 dollars. Other cities have different rules.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Don't kid yourself that your not addicted. Look at how you described your stash and how intricately you understand the medical marijuana rules in CA. Sounds to me like someone is spending a lot of time seeking or obtaining. Just an observation.

[Andman0121]

When will you people realize it isnt addictive?? You are about ten to fifteen years too late to push your nonsense. Pot isnt a big deal. GET OVER IT

[ramblin jack]

why not take a look at your life and see what amount you spent getting the things you want then talk about addiction.

[fumes]

fumeswantstolisten but all sharonsays is untenable.

[Sarah Katherine]

Cannabis is medicine. It seems unfair to suggest that one's medicine should be taken away. Many people are addicted to their legally obtained pills, why don't you spend some time counseling them?

Research has shown for over 100 years that marijuana, although this might seem counterintuitive, is absolutely not habit forming. Some science:
http://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/marijuana-therapy-to-treat-drug-addiction/

Who wouldn't fight for medicine that they need to stay out of pain, to help their nausea, their tremors or muscle spasms?

Who wouldn't want to fight when they observe such injustice as the prohibition of WEED?

[flanardiente]

Someone recently asked me if I had my "card" yet. I said no, why would I want to do that? Put down my name and address for some DEA bureaucrat to pick over? I said, the benefits of breaking the law where pot is concerned is 1) the price is much lower, and 2) I can get it almost anywhere, and 3) the quality is much higher. It's a WEED, folks! It grows wild all over the world!

[JessWonderin]

The "potency lies" are typical Right Wing scare tactics . . . common sense would show that anyone buying weed would want the best possible product to get the best results - gone are the days of tokin' fatties of wimpy water leaf for "hours" when a fine pinner of good shite will do just fine . . . and save your lungs.

But then where would the Right gain control if the "thinkin'person's vice" was legal???

[terragazelle60]

Back in the 60's the govment put out that all the boys tokin would gain man-boobs and be sterile. Well seems to me that we would have a boom on man-o-zures and our population would be down to zero.

The right wing has kept the Drug War going for 2 generation­s...why? the big business of prisons and rehabs...a­nd the fun of lieing.

[lordjin]

"pot is a gateway drug. It leads to sweat pants and Cheetos."

--one of the dudes from Kings of Leon

[HST]

This is all so drug war soldiers can keep their jobs (follow the $$$).

[The Political Moose]

We've got a system where one group of people is paid to oppress another.

[Darthnole]

Voting is open until June 3rd when Ideas get moved to the next discussion phase:

http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3191-4049

This is currently the #5 issue on the site (out of over 1200 ideas)while an issue for Full Legalization is all the way to #3. Signing up takes minutes, so go do your part so we can keep our ideas in front of the President.

[BigSuede]

Can someone tell me why the potency has anything to do with anything? There is a threshold with pot, at a point, one cannot get anymore high. It isnt possible to overdose.. So exactly what is the problem with potency?

[MossyOak]

Higher potency was a false claim promulgated by the anti-marijuana lobby interests that was supposed to somehow make it more harmful. It's totally bogus.

[LeftRight]

It IS possible to OD on pot, just like it's possible to OD on WATER. However, you are right about one thing, once you pass a certain threshold you will not get any higher.

[cynubie]

Oh really? I've got published reports on people OD'ing on water--the most prevalent in my mind being the radio contest in CA last year--actual people drinking too much water and dying. Where, oh where, do I find any info on somebody DYING from pot. I understand that marijuana certainly can be a contributing factor, anybody can get messed up on practically anything and then go stupid with a vehicle--but actual evidence of someone DYING from pot? I don't think that exists--but feel to prove it.

[mick7191]

That's hogwash. You always reach a point of diminishing returns. Trust me. I have tried and tried and tried.

[Diogenis]

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html

A natural way to boost our economy!

[Diogenis]

My crop seems to be doing very well.

[chonus]

I hear pineapple express is like 16%.

[Earl Brown]

i hear that you're worse than stupid and dont know what your talking about.

[StatueOfLiberal]

I'm not stupid and I do know what I'm talking about and I've seen numbers as high as 22% in some strain guides.