UPDATE!!! You can also read and leave feedback on this post at The Hill’s influential Congress blog here or on Huffington Post here.
“This ain’t your grandfather’s or your father’s marijuana. This will hurt you. This will addict you. This will kill you.”– Mark R. Trouville, DEA Miami, speaking to the Associated Press (June 22, 2007)
Government claims that today’s pot is more potent, and thus more dangerous to health, than ever before must be taken with a grain of salt.
Federal officials have made similarly dire assertions before. In a 2004 Reuters News Wire story, government officials alleged, “Pot is no longer the gentle weed of the 1960s and may pose a greater threat than cocaine or even heroin.” (Anti-drug officials failed to explain why, if previous decades’ pot was so “gentle” and innocuous, police still arrested you for it.)
In 2007, Reuters again highlighted the alleged record rise in cannabis potency, proclaiming, “U.S. marijuana grows stronger than before: report.” Quoted in the news story was ex-Drug Czar John Walters, who warned, “This report underscores that we are no longer talking about the drug of the 1960s and 1970s — this is Pot 2.0.”
Predictably, in 2008 the mainstream news media ran with yet another set of ‘news’ stories alleging that the pot plant’s strength had reached all-time highs. According to a June 12, 2008 Associated Press story:
“The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 through 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 percent in 2007, compared with 8.75 percent the previous year.”
Or not. An actual review of the 2008 U-Miss data revealed this nugget of information: The average THC in domestically grown marijuana — which comprises the bulk of the US market — is less than five percent, a figure that’s remained unchanged for nearly a decade. (See: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/FullPotencyReports.pdf, page 12)
Which brings us to this year. Naturally, the Feds are once again sounding the alarm, as reported today by CNN: “Marijuana potency surpasses 10 percent, U.S. says.”
I suppose, if nothing else, the government’s annual “new and improved pot” claims are good advertising for marijuana dealers. As for the rest of the public, it’s time for a reality check.
First, it’s worth noting that police and lawmakers made these same alarmist claims about the suddenly not-as-dangerous-or-strong-as-we-once-said-it-was pot of the 1960s, ’70s, and 80s. These allegations were false then and they are still false now.
Second, THC — regardless of potency — is virtually non-toxic to healthy cells or organs, and is incapable of causing a fatal overdose. Currently, doctors may legally prescribe a FDA-approved pill that contains 100 percent THC, and curiously, nobody at the University of Mississippi or at the Drug Czar’s office seems to be overly concerned about its potential health effects.
Third, survey data gleaned from cannabis consumers in the Netherlands—where users may legally purchase pot of known quality—indicates that most cannabis consumers prefer less potent pot, just as the majority of those who drink alcohol prefer beer or wine rather than 190 proof Everclear or Bacardi 151. When consumers encounter unusually strong varieties of marijuana, they adjust their use accordingly and smoke less.
Finally, if US lawmakers and government researchers were truly concerned about potential risks posed by supposedly stronger marijuana, they would support regulating the drug, so that its potency would be consistent and this information would publicly displayed to the consumer. (Anyone ever been to a liquor store that sold a brand of booze that didn’t post its alcohol content on the label? Didn’t think so.)
So let’s review, shall we? Our federal government ostensibly wants fewer Americans to consume pot. So they spend billions of dollars outlawing the plant and driving its producers underground where breeders, over time, clandestinely develop stronger and more sophisticated herbal strains than ever existed prior to prohibition. The Feds then inadvertently give America’s marijuana growers billions of dollars in free advertising by telling the world that today’s weed is more potent than anything Allen Ginsberg, Tommy Chong or Jerry Garcia ever smoked in their heyday. In response, tens of millions of Americans head immediately to their nearest street-corner in search of a dealer (or college student) willing to sell them a dimebag of the new, super-potent cannabis they’ve been hearing about on TV. The Feds then demand more of your hard-earned tax dollars so they can get more Americans “off the pot.”
Then next year we do it all over again: same time, same station.
Any questions??
I honestly prefer NOT to have stronger pot most of the time. I don’t always want to get blitzed right from the get go on just one hit. Sometimes it’s nice, but sometimes I’d rather just take my time and dose myself slowly until I reach a certain level of comfort and then back off. It’s nice when you can do that. Besides, too much THC makes me jittery and uneasy. I want to feel relaxed and at ease, not over-medicated. It’s best to have the proper balance of cannabinoids in one’s diet. 😉
Does anyone know if Barney Frenk or any of the others in the Government plan to reintroduce the Bills for Medical Marijuana and The legalizing and transporting Marijuana?
And I havnt YET seen The PSA that NORML was running, Is it still running Nationwide?
The information in this PSA is OUTSTANDING … the percentage of people wanting to outright legalize MJ went from the High 40% percentile to the low 50% percentile.. I can only amagine that the informative PSA caused this.. If its not running.. I do hope it will RUN again soon.. at these low costs…
Give me some pot
Just like the pot
That turned on dear old dad.
Well, this whole debate should have been solved with only one statement ” FDA approved 100% THC pill”
how can FEDS come back and say higher thc is a problem when they sell a 100% thc pill ?????????
WTF!@#!@# IDIOTS
Today police officials seized a small bag of marijuana from a college student in Pennsylvania and when they sent it to the lab for testing, they found out it was 250% THC.
They immediately brought this ‘super weed’ back from the lab and gave it to their kids to validate the results.
It turned out to be oregano….
Er, okay, so just sell less potent pot, legally, in shops.stupid government!
The more is kept to the streets the more progressivley strong it’s going to get.
To stop it, just legalize it.
Am I the only one this is obvious to?
#203 Aleister Wilson Says:
May 21st, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Give me some pot
Just like the pot
That turned on dear old dad.
RE:
8)
Dad’s pot was BETTER!
#204 Weed Wonder Says:
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 am
Well, this whole debate should have been solved with only one statement ” FDA approved 100% THC pill”
how can FEDS come back and say higher thc is a problem when they sell a 100% thc pill ?????????
WTF!@#!@# IDIOTS
RE:
[sarcasm]
Oh,
but it’s an advanced pill-form,
not the CRUDE plant. 🙄
[/sarcasm]
#201 David C. Says:
May 21st, 2009 at 8:17 am
…It’s best to have the proper balance of cannabinoids in one’s diet. 😉
RE:
TRUE.
🙂
– Some Americans are cannabinoid-deficient,
and need supplementation…
(An EXOGENOUS source of ENDO-Cannabinoids).
– Laws against cannabis are gov’t-mandated
MALNUTRITION!!!
🙁
you get used to the new strains as if they are regular and the taste is sweeter. other than that it’s just pretty to look at.
One thing I don’t understand about the above article(very good, btw) is contained in the quote “The average THC in domestically grown marijuana — which comprises the bulk of the US market — is less than five percent, a figure that’s remained unchanged for nearly a decade.”. By this account I would obviously surmise that the bulk of marijuana sold on the U.S. black marketis of domestic origin. However, I have heard DEA reports(even on NPR interviews) that the bulk of marijuana sold in the U.S.is coming from Mexico. The figures usually given are something like 70-80% smuggled in from Mexico, and the remaining 30-20% is domestically grown or from other countries. The implication is that U.S. demand for marijuana is supporing the Mexican drug cartel and contributing to all the violence. I have heard other statistics cited(on a conservative talk radio show of all things) that basically reversed these statistics i.e., 20% from Mexico and 80% of domestic origin. Does anyonw know the correct statistics?
I think its messed up how the opinions of the public to Obama were blown off as online “trolls”. It disappoints me to hear Obama say “NO” to legalization when our growing concern is the Mexican border and the obvious solution is to lower demand for marijuana. Not by creating more treatment centers and debt, but by creating domestic growing operations so good the money may start flowing the other direction.
There is just too much to say that has probably been already “hashed” out. Please, Mr President, GO GREEN!
1 bowl of the pot 2.0 and im happier than a mother fucker.
It is my own personal authority over myself with what i put into my body.
capital hill your Hitler of this century.
I need to get some of this hi potency herb. sounds good to me. smoke less for better buzz. the potency was better in the 1970s. the stronger pot bull is just that . bullpoop. wish it was stronger though. no one has ever died from cannabis. people on asprins have died though. doctor meds kill hundreds of thousand of people. also tobacco,boose kill untold millions through the years. propaganda, propaganda, It never stops. our government is really crooked. JJjeeezzzeee
I got more buzzed off the 70’s bud like Santa Marta Gold and thai stick I don’t understand there problem
http://www.alternet.org/rss/4/57561
This will link you to a news article where one can find ONDCP’s statistics. In order to achieve THC content of over 10% includes Hash! The ONDCP lies and distorts the facts to achieve their own purposes. The lie is exposed and CNN should be called to correct or recant their story and present the facts.
#5 commenter Zach makes the crucial argument.
#215 Johnny D Says:
May 29th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
http://www.alternet.org/rss/4/57561
This will link you to a…”
RE:
Johnny D.
– The alternet address only links to
a ‘404’ page…
The following underlined hypertext
links to similar article…
“Drug Czar’s Pot-Potency Claims Go Up In Smoke”
Huffington Post
How did Harkin vote? I am from Iowa, I know Grassley acts like he is smoking too much….and is probably out.
Harkin will alienate a few voters if he is not supporting medical marijuana use.
thanks.