Written on July 2, 2009 at 12:24 PM by

THC Potency Increasing Over the Years

Filed under Drug and Alcohol Fact Sheets {6 comments}

iStock 000008042909XSmall 200x300 THC Potency Increasing Over the YearsAccording to the 2009 World Drug Report released last week by the United Nations Office on Drug Abuse.  It has given different information showing Marijuana potency has changed drastically since the 1970’s.  Because of recent and new methods such as, hydroponic cultivation, this has increased the potency of the marijuana being used today.  These types of cultivation methods have primarily changed and increased the negative effects of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol that is found in cannabis.  The 2009 World Drug Report gives different documentation of different studies and reports conducted and written, documenting the changes in marijuana potency.

A study published in 2004 by the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) did show a modest increase of marijuana potency.    These increases of marijuana potency are typically caused by intense indoor cultivation techniques.  In the United States, a study indicated a 10% rise was shown in the countries marijuana potency.  It is however difficult to generate comparable data because of the cannabis product, cultivation methods, sampling, and stability.

Marijuana is used by millions of people across the world illegally, legally, and now as a prescription given for chronic illness.  Many, if not the majority of drug users have all used, or are still using marijuana.  It is typically, but noiStock 000008947841XSmall 300x199 THC Potency Increasing Over the Yearst always one of the first drugs an addict will experiment with.  Marijuana gained much popularity in the 1970’s, and is still very popular throughout many different cultures.  Unfortunately, the risks have increased with using marijuana, as it is not uncommon today for marijuana bought on the street to be laced with other drugs like speed, LSD, PCP, or even meth.  There have been rises in teen drug use and also hospitalization because of marijuana use and abuse.  Drug rehab centers across North America have also seen an increase in people wanting help.  This is an ongoing problem that society today is still facing; however, much has been done in helping people through effective rehabilitation and drug prevention.

© 2009 Narconon Trois-Rivières. All Rights Reserved.

NARCONON is a trademark and service mark owned by Association for Better Living and Education and is used with its permission.

Be Sociable, Share!
  • more THC Potency Increasing Over the Years

Article by Nick Hayes

Nick Hayes is a graduate of the Narconon drug rehab program in 2005. Nick takes much enjoyment in writing, and feels there needs to be more information about drugs and alcohol provided to the people of the world. He believes nobody should have to go through an addiction.
Nick Hayes tagged this post with: , , , Read 257 articles by
  • http://www.drug-rehab.org Narconon

    Nick nice article. I was a drug educationalist for the department of defense in the 70′s, and pot then was laced with PCP.

  • http://the-drug-detox.blogspot.com/2009/07/marijuana-drug-detox.html Burton

    this is definitely not the same drug it was 30 years ago

  • carroll

    None of the drugs are the same drug they were 30 years ago growers and makers have figured out better methods

  • Pingback: Alcohol Treatment Blogg

  • Dustin

    Marijuana is a non-addictive substance. And in order to get laced cannabis you would have to pay extra for the drugs that it had been laced with. Nobody wastes their money to lace soft drugs like marijuana with hard drugs just to mess with people. An they sure as hell don’t do it to increase the potency because you just stated how much it has increased over the years. Cannabis has over 60 medicinal theriputic values and has much more use than for just the chronically ill. Also, alcohal is known to be more of a gateway drug than marijuana because it is legal and is easy to get ahold of. Unlike marijuana, alcohal can be very addictive and is extremely detrimental to your health. Not to mention it has a high mortality and accident rate, yet cannabis has a mortality rate of zero. And for some reason you call it a problem. Get your facts straight before you post an article like that Nick.

  • BCSmoker

    I agree completely with dustin. Theres no reason to post biased and completely unproven “scientific” bull on the internet. I have not once experienced any lacing in the weed ive smoked, why would they, all it means is they make less profit at the end of the day, however i have had weed that they've sprayed chemicals on and you just don't buy it again, simple as that. Besides nearly any “problem” associated with weed would be eliminated through legalization. Pot wouldn't be a “gateway drug” if it weren't for it being illegal, and even as it is, i don't know anyone that has done other drugs BECAUSE of weed. But because the government is forcing them to buy their marijuana off drug dealers who also sell harder drugs, it does make it just that much more likely for them to go down that path. Sure people say statistics can't lie, but they sure as hell can be bent out of shape and made to look like something they aren't. Just look at the “drugged driving” statistics, ya it shows driving on marijuana is really dangerous in them right, almost comparable to drunk driving, but do they also show that something like 85% of “drugged driving” incidents involve alcohol as well, of course not, it wouldn't prove their view. Thats why governments like stats. I can control myself far better smoking a joint than drinking. Marijuana is a lesser drug in every way than alcohol, nobody goes around shooting people because of smoking a joint, what do they do? Oh ya thats right, eat chips and watch tv, SO DANGEROUS! haha its a joke, alcohol is much more of a social problem than marijuana ever has been and ever will be. And the only evidence that showed marijuana killed brain cells was an early study in which they used gas masks and its believed that the monkeys (not people, nope no studies show brain damage for people) were suffocating due to lack of oxygen, and as it was pointed out in the website i read it from, “What happens when you suffocate? You lose brain cells” haha. Who would of thought that?

    One more thing, I read many places that the reason marijuana seems so much more potent today is because:
    1. They compare the best of today's weed to the worst of the 1960s and 1970s
    2. The technology and standards used to measure the thc content was not accurate until the 1980s
    3. The 1960s and 70s weed would have been mostly street weed confiscated by police and left to dry out and lose potency

    Also theres no evidence more potent marijuana is any more harmful than less potent stuff. If anything that just means its safer because you won't be smoking as much herb to get yourself high.


See Drug Addiction Recovery

Natural Drug and Alcohol Rehab
For immediate help to stop
a drug or alcohol addiction, call

1-877-782-7409

  • No Waiting list
  • Long-term program
  • Drug-free and natural detoxification program combined with extensive life skill learning treatment

Call 1-877-782-7409
or
fill out the form below:

  1. (required)
  2. (required)
  4. (required)
  5. (valid email required)
  6. (required)
  7. Captcha