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Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
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The potency of recreational marijuana being sold in states that have legalized the drug is growing dramatically, leading to concerns from policymakers and public health experts. Despite popular belief that it’s impossible to overdose on marijuana or to be “too high,” consuming too much THC can cause harmful side effects.
When a man gave out free marijuana edibles at an Ohio concert in August, 24 people were hospitalized for a range of uncommon symptoms. One woman told ABC News she had trouble breathing and felt like she was “everywhere at once.” Authorities eventually linked the symptoms to consuming too much THC.
Numerous studies have shown an increase in cannabis potency during the past decade, and a recent CNN investigation revealed that the THC content in some marijuana strains being sold in Colorado has increased to about 30 percent.
One lab that tests THC potency to ensure accurate labeling reported testing a flower with THC content of about 32 percent. Another lab had tested strains reaching 28 percent total THC content.
“As far as potency goes, it’s been surprising how strong a lot of the marijuana is,” Dr. Andy LaFrate said in a 2015 press release. LaFrate is the president and director of research at a certified Colorado testing facility.
He says THC levels were well below 10 percent three decades ago. In addition to potency, his company tests for contaminants such as solvents and microbes.
“It’s pretty startling just how dirty a lot of this stuff is,” LaFrate said. “You’ll see a marijuana bud that looks beautiful. And then we run it through a biological assay, and we see that it’s covered in fungi.”
Marijuana producers aren’t required to test marijuana for contaminants in Colorado, and it’s unknown what levels of contaminants could be dangerous to humans. It’s also unknown how more potent strains of marijuana may affect the brain.
Dr. Kari Franson with the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy told CNN she believes the increasing potency is linked to adverse health impacts such as those reported by the Colorado Department of Public Safety in 2014.
“These people are getting so anxious and uncomfortable with how they feel,” Franson said of people who consume too much THC. “They sometimes have a feeling of impending doom and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to die,’ so they go to the emergency room and seek assistance.”
A lack of public support for marijuana regulation has allowed the marijuana industry to genetically engineer increasingly potent strains of marijuana without any research on its health effects.
Street-Level Marijuana Potency Also Rising
The potency of marijuana on America’s streets has been increasing for more than 20 years. In the early 1990s, an average cannabis strain had 3.7 percent THC content. More potent strains called sinsemilla averaged 7.5 percent. By 2013, average cannabis had 9.6 percent potency and sinsemilla averaged 16 percent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A study published in January in Biological Psychiatry found the overall potency of all cannabis, including sinsemilla, increased from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, the amount of cannabidiol — a chemical in marijuana with potential medical properties — has decreased from 0.28 percent in 2001 to less than 0.15 percent in 2014.
The authors of the study concluded that “there is a shift in the production of illicit cannabis plant material from regular marijuana to sinsemilla. This increase in potency poses higher risk of cannabis use, particularly among adolescents.”
Opponents of increasing marijuana potency believe increased THC content may have profound health effects on adolescents, but little research has been done on more potent strains. Colorado lawmakers attempted to pass an amendment limiting the potency of recreational marijuana to 16 percent, but it failed to gain momentum.
Research on Marijuana Potency and Health
Decades of research on the health effects of marijuana were conducted using less potent strains, which means the studies may now be irrelevant, according to a 2014 article co-authored by NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow.
Data indicate that as marijuana potency increased between 2004 and 2011, so did the number of emergency department visits involving marijuana. It’s impossible to definitively prove the increase in ED visits was caused by increased potency, though.
Limited research has been done on how the potency of marijuana affects health outcomes.
A 2013 study published in the Schizophrenia Bulletin found youth who began smoking marijuana before age 15 developed psychosis at a younger age than those who began smoking after age 15. It also found that people who consumed high-potency cannabis developed psychosis earlier than other cannabis users.
A 2015 study published in Psychological Medicine found that people who consumed high potency marijuana had signs of damage in the part of the brain that connects the left side of the brain to the right. However, the damage could have been caused by another factor such as other drug use.
Until there is more research on the health effects of potent marijuana, people who use it regularly are doing so at their own risk.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
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American Chemical Society. (2015, March 23). Legalizing marijuana and the new science of weed (video). Retrieved from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-lma022015.php
Cabrera, A. (2016, October 21). Colorado marijuana’s potency getting ‘higher.’ Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/21/health/colorado-marijuana-potency-above-national-average/index.html
ElSohly, M.A. et al. (2016, January 19). Changes in Cannabis Potency Over the Last 2 Decades (1995–2014): Analysis of Current Data in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(16)00045-7/abstract
Forti, M.D. et al. (2013, December 17). Daily Use, Especially of High-Potency Cannabis, Drives the Earlier Onset of Psychosis in Cannabis Users. Retrieved from http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/12/14/schbul.sbt181.abstract
Hawkins, D. (2016, August 8). Man arrested after 24 Ohio concertgoers sickened by THC candy tossed out to crowd. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/08/man-arrested-after-24-ohio-concertgoers-sickened-by-thc-candy-tossed-out-to-crowd/
Molina, T. (2016, August 7). Exclusive: NewsChannel5 talks to woman who was sickened at EST Fest. Retrieved from http://www.newsnet5.com/news/exclusive-newschannel-5-talks-to-woman-who-overdosed-at-est-fest
Rigucci, S. et al. (2016, March). Effect of high-potency cannabis on corpus callosum microstructure. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/effect-of-high-potency-cannabis-on-corpus-callosum-microstructure/9D4C119B051F3935E42BBAA9F5E1B23B
Volkow, N.D. et al. (2014, July 1). Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use. Retrieved from #
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