Pot Is Becoming More Potent — and Riskier

An analysis of potency in plants from federal seizures yields unsettling results.

Although some states have legalized “medical” or recreational use of cannabis, illicit use remains more common. These investigators analyzed the proportion of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids in 37,606 samples of cannabis plants seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from 1995 through 2014; the samples consisted of marijuana (female pollinated or male plants), sinsemilla (unpollinated female plants), ditchweed (hemp), and other preparations.

During the 20-year study period, the amount of THC in cannabis tripled, from 4% to 12%; CBD declined; and the ratio of THC to CBD rose from 15 to >80. THC concentration was found to be 61% higher in states with legalized medical use of cannabis than in …

Reviewing Author

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Pot Is Becoming More Potent — and Riskier

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Reviewing Author