Don't Buy The 'Potent Pot' Hype

Government claims of highly potent pot must be taken with a grain of salt. As is the case with any black market commodity, definitive facts are difficult if not impossible to come by.

That said, even by the University of Mississippi's own admission, the average THC in domestically grown marijuana -- which comprises the bulk of the US market -- is less than five percent, a figure that's remained unchanged for nearly a decade.**

By contrast, the average strength of imported cannabis has grown in recent years. Nevertheless, non-domestic marijuana comprises only a small fraction of the domestic market. To imply that this rare, unusually potent cannabis is reflective of what is typically available on the US market is highly (and purposely) misleading.

Furthermore, it must be noted that THC -- regardless of potency -- is non-toxic and incapable of causing a fatal overdose. Currently, doctors may legally prescribe a FDA-approved pill that contains 100 percent THC, and curiously, nobody at the University of Mississippi or at the Drug Czar¹s office seems particularly concerned about it.

It should also be noted that most cannabis consumers actually prefer less potent pot, just as the majority of those who drink alcohol prefer beer or wine over hard liquor. If and when consumers encounter unusually strong varieties of marijuana, they adjust their use accordingly and smoke less.

Of course, if lawmakers and government researchers were really concerned about potential risks posed by potent marijuana, they would support regulating the drug, so that its potency would be known to the consumer.

So if today's pot is essentially the same plant it's always been ­ with any marginal increase in potency akin to the difference between a cup of tea and an espresso ­ why is the government claiming otherwise? Mainly to scare parents, particularly those millions of parents who may have, without incident, experimented with marijuana in the 1970s, when they were about the same age as their children are today. Fortunately for them, while the feds' latest "reefer rhetoric" may sound alarming, there's little substance behind the hype.

**(See: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/FullPotencyReports.pdf, page 12)

Author's note: The author is the Deputy Director for NORML and the NORML Foundation in Washington, DC. He may be contacted at: [e-mail].

Comments

[jsknow]

Remember, we offered to let em tax it. That offer's off the table, they chose to go to war. PROMOTE THE RIGHT TO GROW YOUR OWN!

[tulsey]

Back in the 60's they lied about pot and the war. My, how things have changed.

[incontempt]

Some who have chronic pain may also find this of value...reasons antidepressants don't work if it is caused by chronic pain.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/Story?id=4249610&page=1

[research]

Potent pot is SAFER!

Less tar etc... for the same high.

[jsknow]

In 1914 when there were NO PROHIBITED DRUGS 1.3% of our population was addicted to drugs, TODAY 1.3% of our population is STILL ADDICTED TO DRUGS BUT THERE"S WAY MORE CRIME AND VIOLENCE BECAUSE OF THE HUGE PROFITS PROHIBITION GENERATES. DRUGS TODAY ARE MORE POTENT, MORE READILY AVAILABLE AND LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THEY WERE IN THE EARLY 70"S WHEN RICHARD NIXON STARTED THE WAR ON DRUGS. There"s only been one drug success story in history, tobacco, BY FAR THE MOST DEADLY and one of the MOST ADDICTIVE drugs. Almost half the users quit because of REGULATION, ACCURATE INFORMATION AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. No one went to jail and no one got killed. DEMAND your Constitutional rights. The right; to freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, to keep and bear arms, to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure, to life, liberty and property, to be protected from having your property taken by the government without due process of law and without just compensation, to confront the witnesses against you, to be protected from excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishment, to vote and many others have been denied to millions of Americans in the name of the drug war.
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[jsknow]

It's time to remove ALL the politicians that promote prohibition. How many more lives have to be needlessly devastated or lost? PROHIBITED DRUGS ARE WAY EASIER FOR KIDS TO GET THAN REGULATED DRUGS! PROHIBITION never works it just CAUSES CRIME & VIOLENCE. The USA spends $69 billion a year on the drug war, builds 900 new prison beds and hires 150 more correction officers every two weeks, arrests someone on a drug charge every 17 seconds, jails more people than any nation and has killed over 100,000 citizens in the drug war.
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[genseric13]

Stronger pot should be healthier then weak pot for the very simple reason that you do not have to smoke as much in order to get the same buzz, and therefore your lungs take less of a beating. The lungs are the only issue with pot and they are better off with stronger pot.

[Durango]

I had always heard that the best pot in America was grown by a dentist in SW Colorado.

They did a bogus fire inspection on his medical office building and found an extensive marijuana plantation in the basement.

Before they could put him on trial he was blown out of the back door of a motorcycle shop he owned, chased by police who shot out the back window of his car.

He was on the lame for several years but picked up on a fugitive warrant in New Mexico. He was littering. Spent some time in Prison, not much must have had a good lawyer, and moved back to SW Colorado.

Some years later someone noticed that the medical office building was once again using an unusual amount of electricity. They did another inspection and guess what?

Found in the basement another pot plantation in the basement.

DEA said it was the best pot ever.

A fact confirmed by some skiing buddies.

Stupidist thing I ever did, twice.

[Beachrunner]

Wow man, that's, like, totally bitchin'!

[4President]

This is on the back of a study that found no American deaths as the result of marijuana use.

[batguano]

The insanity and abuse of the anti-marijuana laws extend to medicinal marijuana and Industrial Hemp, that has thousands of uses and enormous economic value, yet still the madness, ignorance and greed of the "Drug War" fools and corporations and businesses that benefit from it's continued illegality continues.

We humans have evolved with cannabinoids and they have enormous health related benefits our bodies.......for mankind. http://www.thc-ministry.net/cannabinoids.html
At a time when Big Pharma pushes their deadly "legal" drugs that cause the deaths of tens of thousands annually and cigarettes kill thousands more, it is an abomination that otherwise law-abiding people are dragged into the criminal "justice" system and have their lives and those of their families ruined by the odious "drug" laws.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html
http://www.votehemp.com/overview.html
http://nynorml.org/news.html

RESIST THE PHONEY "WAR ON DRUGS"! Legalize it!

[batguano]

The "War on Drugs" is a war against the people, both young and old, both black and white. It is an excuse for police funding and abusive excesses, an excuse to search people and cars, confiscate their posessions, to beat and shoot them to death like the 92 year old woman whose door was broken down; when she shot at the unknown intruders, was shot to death....it was the wrong address!
The "War on Drugs" also extends to other countries and assaults on the cultures of native people who have used "drugs" for centuries, and includes spraying their lands with cancer causing herbicides. The War on Drugs is essentially Fascist in it's nature and another block in the foundation of the Police State and an excuse to expand funding for the police and military.
Consider the DEA spending BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars on "eradication" of ditchweed....feral hemp.....in the midwest and elsewhere. ("In fiscal year 2001, the DEA provided $13.1 million to 102 programs in all 50 states for marijuana eradication. Statistics show 99.42 percent of eradicated marijuana that year was ditchweed. In 2004, the cost to federal taxpayers for marijuana eradication rose to at least $3.67 billion." http://www.haleakalatimes.com/news/story2245.aspx A fraud and obscene waste of resources to justify the salaries of agents and their bloated agency.

RESIST THE PHONEY "WAR ON DRUGS"! Legalize it!

[musselmanm]

My very best friend in this world has tried for years to commit suicide with Marijuana. He smokes and smokes but just goes to sleep and must start over when he awakens. This being said he has gained weight in his fruitless attempts

[Arithrianos]

I can imagine smoking the 100+ pounds of pot that is needed to overdose wouldn't be easy.

[musselmanm]

Having been a smoker and advocate for 40 years now, I still have brain cells, go out to work in my yard, care for my home, succesfully raised three boys, have never stolen or killed, Worked in heavy construction for 35 years, ( never smoked when someone else' life would be endangered by my actions). Oh! I also nevereven did not stop when told to stop by a woman.
Have always been for womens rights, endorse breaking the glass ceiling. Support marriage rights for all. Support all people no matter what color or shape.
I have always told anyone that would listen that our government lies to us about most things.
I do however have the man breasts that I was warned about.
Uncle Sam should be our supplier so it could be controlled, plus tax the hell out of it, put people top work in all phases of growth and production.
I have not ever tried other drugs except alchohol. I am glad that my family are pot heads. Alchoholics and just plain drunks are out driving around making life dangerous for others in public places with their heavy duty SUV or Mini Van.
My family and I stay home, eat Pizza and M&Ms' and watch Television and read.
DUI would remain the same for both substances. Our tax base would go up, personal taxes would go down and less anti deepressants would be needed.
Just my opinion but my opinnion matters as much as all of yours.

[incontempt]

It is a very good opinion...and shared by many, especially myself...it is way better then any pharmaceutical treatments i've recieved for chronic pain and accompanying depression

[Durango]

You do not want government regulated marijuana.

You would never see good pot again.

[LeBelAge]

I agree that the government uses scare tactics in the war on drugs. However, drug use, including marijuana, even the less potent kind, can produce psychosis in a certain percentage of the population. In other words marijuana may be safe for most people, but not all. It can lead people down the road of a lifetime of mental illness for reasons unexplained by medical science. That is something to keep in mind.

[Durango]

Lowest common denomintor thinking.

We will put you in prison because someone somewhere might have some kind of bad reaction to marijuana.

We can't document that bad reaction. But it COULD happen.

Therefore you get three to five years in the penitentiary of the governments choice.

[woodchips]

While the study you refer to was widely reported in the media, the cause/effect link was highly exaggerated in the reporting. If the effect were as reported, society should be swimming in a sea of psychos. From an article debunking the study:

"Private and government surveys have documented a massive increase in marijuana use, particularly by young people, during the 1960s and '70s, but no corresponding increase in psychosis was ever reported. This strongly suggests that if marijuana use plays any role in triggering psychosis, that effect is weak, rare, or both."

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/21436/

Stanley Zammit, M.D., Ph.D., co-author of the original study stated:

"We can't be sure it is causal, [but] studies find an association rather consistently. It's always possible people who use cannabis may be different [in some way] than those who don't."

That is a vastly different angle than the one hyped by the media and the feds. A little research and an open mind can reveal a lot.