What is the average thc level

Those seizures consisted of a mixture of mainly outdoor grown and imported cannabis and only small numbers of indoor grown plants, as the method of hydroponic indoor cultivation was in its infancy at that time.

And this is where claims of greatly increased cannabis potency start to look a little shaky or at least somewhat exaggerated. It should come as no surprise that scientists were able to cultivate rather potent cannabis under highly controlled conditions in a laboratory and without the need to run as a clandestine operation, but one wonders how legitimate it is to compare the potency of plant matter harvested from this experimental indoor operation with that of the crops seized by Police or product caught at our border.

A better test of changes in THC potency over time would be to continue testing illegally grown cannabis material seized by Police. According to the authors of the ESR study, this kind of testing is currently underway, and preliminary results show an average THC content of This does indicate a slight increase in potency since , where the highest THC measurement was 9.

It is likely that the increasing trend towards indoor hydroponic cannabis cultivation in New Zealand is allowing growers to maximise both the yields and potencies of their crops. The extraordinarily high potency figure of 30 percent reported in the ESR study was achieved for only one sample, from one plant, from one grow cycle in the entire study.

In fact, the average THC content for each plant tended to hover around 7 or 8 percent, which is comparable to THC levels reported for cannabis across Europe. This reflects the fact that, unlike other manufactured drugs, cannabis is a natural product whose potency is dependent on multiple factors, such as species, method of cultivation, time of harvest and grower expertise.

The same report suggested that the focus on the potency of cannabis plant material may be misguided. In reality, testing was based on samples taken from weak domestic crops rather than illegal imports. In , the National Institute on Drug Abuse wrote a paper admitting that the age of samples varied from several weeks to a few years! Moreover, researchers made no effort to take into account THC loss from improper storage over the years.

Imported cannabis became less prevalent during the s because of the growth of hydroponically grown weed. A study by ElSohly et al. In all, almost 39, samples were analyzed.

Once again, it is tough to take this figure at face value, but there is no question that weed was still weaker. Cannabis finally hit the big time in when California became the first state to legalize the substance for medicinal use in the modern era. The ElSohly study found a noticeable increase in the amount of sinsemilla found in the cannabis they tested in the early s. The reduction in CBD was also extremely noticeable. In , the average CBD content was 0. This has major repercussions when it comes to analyzing the potency of marijuana.

Apparently, the average THC in Colorado weed is In his opinion, these results are either faulty or based on the fact that breeders add extra cannabinoids to the strain to make it stronger. Remember, weed was illegal and hard to get back in the s and 70s. What arrived from overseas was mainly stems and stalks, with little of the bud that contains the THC. It has grown for tens of thousands of years, and classic strains from the Hindu Kush Mountains are still highly sought after.

According to Page, he knows a hippie who traveled to Pakistan in the early s to find strong weed. The seeds he bought back then are the source of the cannabis he still grows today. It is far more likely that the apparent change in THC levels is purely down to an increase in quality and availability. Of course, breeders are eagerly trying to develop the most potent strains in the world. They have managed to create some knockout weed with sky-high THC levels.

Chile's 'Dr. Marijuana' sentenced Medical marijuana now for sale in D. Legalizing pot isn't about medicine, it's about getting high. They don't know what to expect, and before they know it, they've inhaled too much. Fortunately, the risk of overdose with marijuana is far less serious than with cocaine or heroin.

But certain behaviors -- like driving -- can be deadly if you're acutely intoxicated. Julie Holland, a psychiatrist in New York who studies the history and science of cannabis. The figure represents all patients with marijuana in their system, whether or not the ER visit is related to the drug.

But most experts agree that along with showing an increase in usage, those numbers also indicate an increase in marijuana-related problems. Stuart Gitlow, a psychiatrist who estimates that upwards of 1 in people using high-THC marijuana experience psychotic symptoms. As president of the American Society for Addiction Medicine, Gitlow also worries about the long-term impact.

Psychiatrist leads crusade to legalize marijuana. So I would expect it to have a somewhat higher addictive potential. Christian Thurstone, who runs an addiction treatment center in Denver, agrees that there is a trend toward heavier use. He's seen steadily higher levels of THC metabolites in clients' urine tests when they enter his program.