Marijuana Is Too Strong Now - The Atlantic
Marijuana Is Too Strong Now - The Atlantic
As weed has become easier to obtain, it has become harder to smoke.
In 2022, the federal government reported that, in samples seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, average levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC—the psychoactive compound in weed that makes you feel high—had more than tripled compared with 25 years earlier, from 5 to 16 percent. That may understate how strong weed has gotten. Walk into any dispensary in the country, legal or not, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single product advertising such a low THC level. Most strains claim to be at least 20 to 30 percent THC by weight; concentrated weed products designed for vaping can be labeled as up to 90 percent.
The high that most adult weed smokers remember from their teenage years is most likely one produced by “mids,” as in, middle-tier weed. In the pre-legalization era, unless you had a connection with access to top-shelf strains such as Purple Haze and Sour Diesel, you probably had to settle for mids (or, one step down, “reggie,” as in regular weed) most of the time. Today, mids are hard to come by.
The simplest explanation for this is that the casual smokers who pine for the mids and reggies of their youth aren’t the industry’s top customers. Serious stoners are. According to research by Jonathan P. Caulkins, a public-policy professor at Carnegie Mellon, people who report smoking more than 25 times a month make up about a third of marijuana users but account for about two-thirds of all marijuana consumption. Such regular users tend to develop a high tolerance, and their tastes drive the industry’s cultivation decisions.
This article feels like it was written by an old man yelling at clouds. "... Back in my day we smoked mid and we liked it" shakes fist and then uses it as a reason to go back to prohibition. Why can't we just make it legal and let the free market figure it out.
Turns out more THC for the buck means people can make a few months supply of edibles out of a few grams. Cost effective!
This is such bad reporting about cannabis that it makes me think The Atlantic probably has very poor standards for all their articles.
Leftists have been calling out the Atlantic’s poor reporting for a while now, history just has a weird way of always proving them right.
I'd call it more of an opinion piece than actual reporting or journalism but it's still dumb.
I do agree with the old man yelling sentiment, but in fairness to the article it has ,imo, become a lot easier to get too high in the last decade. By that I mean becoming uncomfortably high. As a daily user for the last decade I smoke mainly because it has been the only reliable way to help me sleep I've ever tried, but I honestly enjoy being high as well.
I have issues with anxiety though and it definitely is really easy to accidentally overdo it. I've seen this sentiment grow in a minor portion of the community.
Luckily it's a super super easy fix, add cbd bud. When I was reading scientific lit I saw many journal articles that discussed cbds ability to help with thc side effects. I don't feel like digging them up right now.
It's pseudo legal, and the free market has spoken. People want stronger
i think the jump compared to 20-30 years ago is like 10x or something which they are finding very hard to handle.
also the balance of thc/cbd has changed massively - almost no cbd
i have noticed that lower thc and higher cbd is more available so i think the free market is catering to the old heads
Sounds like someone has never ever ever set foot in a dispensary and asked for a "low thc high CBD strain".
Total nonsense that contradicts my literal past lived experience, and probably my experience this afternoon.
While the majority of products I see at dispensaries are high THC. There are always some lower options. Currently getting shake at $30 to $40/ounce and it's about little above "mid". 15% THC but I assume because it's shake only, it's slightly lower like 12%.
Context is king, and I'm in Victoria BC. I guess it's down the the density of the dispensaries 🌲🌲🌲
They are legion here so we're not short on options.
I buy online and get lots of different strains and mixes. I was in Colorado recently - stopped in a dispensary and asked for some type 2...blank stare.
Because it’s gotten so much stronger, I actually smoke less to get to that “sweet spot,” which saves me money.
Won’t catch me complaining.
This argument shows up every few years and its always been BS. Not that weed doesn't get stronger, but it always fails to mention how the majority of people simply consume less. This happened when growers figured out sinsemilla (seedless) weed. This happened when continued cross breeding techniques and lab testing became more regular in the horticulture aspect of the business. This happened when vape pens, dabbing, and further concentration methods showed up. Ultimately it's up to the adults consuming these products to determine how much is "too much" or "too strong".
Am I for bigger warnings on packages? Yes. Am I for heavier regulation of the industry as a whole? Definitely. Am I for having honest respectful conversations with teenagers and kids about the pros and cons of drugs use that doesn't demonize nor glorify it? Hell yes. And ultimately, am I for responsible use? Absofuckinglutely.
But I get so fucking annoyed by seeing that this kind of scare tactic article shows up every few years, pretty much beat for beat trying to demonize the drug exactly the same bs article, every time...every few years. No new news. No new insights. Just the same old shit with slightly updated data. We get it, the weed is stronger. Its because people started to give more of a shit about the quality of what they were putting into their bodies. That's because the cannabis industry became more legitimate and regulated. That's a good thing.
Now I've got my criticisms of the modern cannabis industry, but it has more to do with my problems with how capitalism encourages oligopolistic practices, which definitely has manifested in the cannabis industry here in the States.
But I'm definitely not complaining about the fact the weed is stronger. I can go out and buy ether alcohol and drink myself to death way quicker than with a bottle of vodka. It doesn't mean I think ether shouldn't be available. If I want to kill myself with ether alcohol, I'm an adult, I'm informed on what ether alcohol is and the dangers of using it. I should have the freedom to use it as I see fit. Same with strong ass cannabis.
The mg and percentages are right there on the package, you've got more research available today from legitimate chemists on the subject you can look up right now. Read that and make your decisions off of that, not this trash. At least then you could truly say you were making an Educated decision.
Their explanation is pretty dumb. The main driver for more concentrated drugs in general is money. If you can make more money with less material, its going to be easier to transport, hide, trade. Thats what drug cartels care about. To be blunt the reason cannabis is more potent now is because it was/is illegal.
Like exactly the same thing happened during alcohol prohibition. Beer disappeared, and spirits got harder and harder.
Seriously, what is up with us as a species? Are we still adapting to being able to record history?
They also claim that all sour diesel strains are top shelf without considering the quality of the growing process at all.
Maybe tackle it like the UK does tackle sugar, tax higher after a certain amount of THC?
No bro, its “serious stoners”
If you take one peek in any grower community you will see that that is not the case. This isn't cocaine. Growers do not seek just THC, they seek to improve trichome development in general. This includes flavor molecules, Entourage chemicals, and the main chemicals that you know of.
We refer to ourselves as trichome growers, not cannabis growers.
This is such a wild stance to take. "The quality of recreational cannabis has improved, and we're mad about it!" If it's too strong, just use less. Skill issue
Ever heard about other terpenes?
This is good, IMO. People don't have to smoke as much, so less damage is done to their lungs. Vapes, edibles, and concentrates that are not combusted are probably even less damaging.
Ugh, they used the word 'marijuana'. Foreshadowing.
So meta
Don't do serial vodka shots if you don't want to get drunk in a hurry. Don't smoke a bunch of 30% weed if you don't want to get way too high.
I heard this 'marijuana is too strong now' argument back in the 90s i swear to God.
I actually miss the old Mexican brick weed from thirty years ago. It could give you a headache, but otherwise, the high it produced of everything being hilarious doesn't seem to exist anymore. Modern weed pretty much makes me instantly catatonic.
Further, I don't know if it's age, but a single bong rip will send me into violent fits of coughing that frequently render me running outside to puke.
I've stopped smoking entirely in favor of edibles due to the coughing thing. The edibles still knock me the hell out. I don't know how the younger set wakes and bakes and carries on with their day with the modern stuff.
Tolerance is kind of the only reason I've been able to enjoy ridiculously strong weed. Otherwise, like you said, I'm just catatonic. These days, I need to consume such a small amount (I'm talking 5mg edible) when I don't have a tolerance.
But I take 1 puff off a joint and that's when I find that beautiful high where everything is funny, and I still am able to talk to my friends.
Seriously, with this strong ass weed, less is more.
I don’t know how the younger set wakes and bakes and carries on with their day with the modern stuff.
It was tough lemme tell ya. I hadta set goals, show up every day and give it 110%.
Im no hero, i just care, yaknow? You too can achieve, just do what i did. Set your mind to it and put in a little work daily and greatness will come
It sounds like you're looking for a really uplifting sativa / haze the get the giggling feeling. The mainstream strains have been crossbred so much you'll probably have to look a bit to find a classic lineage.
Just smoke less. Take one hit of potent weed and it will feel like an entire joint of that trash you are used to
Okay who had to write this for their public service hours instead of going to jail
Since computers are too strong, websites only need seconds to load.
No one can read that fast, so this is a problem.
They can fuck right off, I enjoy going to outer space on half a joint.
Marijuana has been getting stronger for a long time according to news outlets. I remember seeing a collection of reports on stronger marijuana from different decades. Multiplying those "x times stronger" tells us, that marijuana is now 2000 times stronger and consists of at least 200% THC or something like that.
Does anyone have the original calculations and references? It was hilarious.
I love it. Instead of using portion control like filling smaller bowls, smaller joints, or one-hitter pipes, everyone needs to change.
Talk about entitlement.
For me it means it's easier to smoke too much accidentally. If I'm alone that's fine I guess but socially it's a problem. I prefer gummies or drinks now.
Nay, the people are too weak.
Another point on this. CBD and THC content are inversely correlated. So high TCH will almost always result in very low CBD. So instead of getting the high + relax you just get high.
One of the best weed I've ever smoked was "shit weed" which put me into a "relax and enjoy life" mood. I really want weed to be legalised so that people will start producing weaker weed with high CBD content.
It exists.
I can go to the dispensary down the street and get it if I wanted it.
Sounds nice, would like a dispensary but where I live there's only the black market.
If you're in a country where CBD is legal, you can mix regular weed with CBD weed bought in store.
So chances are you'll have some options, but I can say the options for lower THC weed here in Canada (well, Ontario to be specific) are slim. There just isn't as much market demand for it once the older folks who abstained during prohibition have tried it and moved on (usually to low dose edibles, tbf). The real money is in appealing to chronic smokers who chase THC %.
Sucks for me, who would love more options with moderate to low THC grown/processed really well (e.g. nice flavour profile, pretty nugs, etc.). There's been a few, but they usually don't stay on the market for very long or stay in a grow rotation.
For now, one hitters and lots of attention to dose thresholds are the way I get down. Which means I buy less weed, which also means my preferences aren't well reflected in overall demand.
It's almost like it was illegal to do any research on cross breeding strains for potency for a long time.
Sorry our science got better while cannabis was prohibited over some racial bs for 80+ years.
I prefer some delta 8 for that reason now days. If you shop around for CBD strains, you can score some single digits D9 THC occasionally. What I miss is some old school creeper weed.
Creepers are dangerous... 😂 Did you smoke enough? Or are you going to a new planet in 15 minutes.
me: "I think I have had enough"
the creeper: "HAHAH sucker, you had enough a while ago. Get ready to rubble!!!!!!!"
Creeper taught me harm reduction before I knew it was a concept. Just one time of "Ground control to me" was enough for me to stop and wait 15 to 30 minutes before hitting it again.
THC percentage in isolation means nothing - if it did, you could easily use less, like you don't chug booze like it's beer. The problem is the disturbing ratio of THC to the many other contents, especially the anti-psychotic CBD.
It's easy not to pack the bowl full of the strong weed, but it has become hard to avoid the strains that make me paranoid and probably drive a teenager to psychosis.
The solution is to legalize and mandate warnings on the packaging, and other safety measures such as different age limits on different strains.
No teenager can legally buy cannabis. 21 seems to be the prevailing age limit. What different age limits do you suggest? edit: My question was in reference to this comment's suggestions about age limits before the edit. This suggestion was removed.
The age limit suggestion is still there - I moved it, not removed.
Not suggesting, only speculating, but it seems pure CBD should be easily available (it is here), and psycho-weeds should be at the other end of the limit spectrum. Maybe "extra bad for teenage brains" on the packet of those strains in addition to the age limit. Or it could be a gene test, assuming it was known which genes interact badly with which molecules.
with consequences including hospitalizations for chronic vomiting
This was me learning to set my limit when I was 15yo. Every time I smoked, I puked. Same thing when I started drinking alcohol. Puked every time.
I can now smoke (cautiously) and drink (mightily) without issue. I think the real issue is changing cultural expectations about how much THC can be consumed at what rate. No more huge bong rips.
Agree to disagree, especially if you tried the synthetic shit back before the analog law came into effect (don't try the stuff that bypasses the laws; you will have a bad time). It made THC feel like coffee, and permanently wrecked my tolerance. It's been 10 years and I still need 500mg+ of pure THC distillate to feel anything. I need stronger weed.
What you need is to pause your consumption for at least a couple of weeks.
Tolerance you need to build up, but you can also build it down
And those “legal” xHC vape pens just don’t do it for me. Feels way different - not in the good way, though.
I read a while ago that the landraces of cannabis that were used sacramentally by Rastafarians in Jamaica are believed to be extinct, replaced by more profitable high-THC varieties grown by organised crime for export to US consumers.
The stuff I'm getting on Ontario ain't strong enough. Where can I find this super weed????
Bastards always trying to see "how far can we take this thing?", always "chasing that demon". The same as with spicy food, once they got their hands on ghost peppers, scotch bonnets and moruga scorpions, doing hybrids, looking to break the 2 million Scoville Units barrier and above... for some reason that's beyond my comprehension.
The difference is that using a bunch of weak hot sauces not bad for you, smoking a ton of bad weed is.
People fail to realize that weed has tar if you burn it. The less plant material you smoke the better it is for you