Today’s Marijuana is not the same as the 1970s Marijuana.
It is 10 times stronger leading to increased problems.
Often we hear conflicting “facts” about marijuana and the question of potency has been misrepresented on all sides of the marijuana debate -- with some saying it is no more potent than the past and others over-exaggerating potency.
The facts:
The University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project began monitoring marijuana THC levels in the mid-1970s and has found that marijuana potency has been steadily rising over the years.
- In the mid-1970s, average THC levels of seized marijuana were less than 1%.
- By 1985: 3.5 %
- By 2006: 8.8 %
- By 2009: 10.1%
This 10 fold increase in potency has coincided with:
- Increased emergency room admissions with marijuana.
- Increased admissions to drug treatment programs for marijuana addiction, especially among teens.