Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 9:07:38 CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Weed Potency Hits 30-Year High

Posted Jun 12, 08 8:11 CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Today's marijuana is the strongest crop since the heyday of Cheech and Chong, a new study finds. University researchers who analyzed seized samples dating back to the '70s found the level of active ingredient THC hit an average of 9.6% last year, up almost 1% from the year before and more than double the 4% recorded for 1983, the AP reports.

The rise in potency, attributed to new growing techniques, has health officials worried. The  director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the study, warned that the stronger weed could trigger changes in the brain leading to addiction and mental illness. A professor who serves as an adviser to a pro-marijuana group said that the danger was overstated, as users tend to adjust to stronger marijuana by smoking less of it.

Source Associated Press

1 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Report to UN: Dudes, Legalize Weed

    Oct 2, 08 1:08 PM CDT
    Report to UN: Dudes, Legalize Weed Slick-suited diplomats are not the likeliest advocates for lifting worldwide marijuana bans, but a British scientific report targets the UN, saying a regulated marijuana market would remove most of the drug's harm, since it comes from prohibition itself, the Guardian reports. Legalizing it would also allow governments to tax the 160 million users, and set a minimum age and potency limits.
    More »

  • Dutch Smoking Ban Leaves Pot Users in a Fog

    Jun 30, 08 2:40 PM CDT
    Effective tomorrow, the Netherlands bans smoking tobacco in public places, and the new law means big changes for Amsterdam's famously relaxed coffeehouses, reports USA Today. Because the law doesn't cover cannabis or hashish, users can continue to smoke them inside. But those who prefer their pot mixed with tobacco, as many do, will have to step outside. More »

  • Stronger Weed Ignites Controversy

    Jun 23, 08 4:11 PM CDT
    Stronger Weed Ignites Controversy Marijuana is getting stronger, but what exactly that means is open to interpretation. The Boston Globe looks at a dispute with clearly drawn sides but fuzzier facts. Is pot addictive and highly hazardous, or no more harmful than caffeine and perhaps medically beneficial? With minimal research to draw on, experts say, opponents and proponents of weed are cherry-picking their data. More »

  • Dude! Harsh! Weed Shrinks Your Brain

    Jun 3, 08 9:09 PM CDT
    Dude! Harsh! Weed Shrinks Your Brain Heavy marijuana use over a number of years can cause significant brain abnormalities, damage memory and emotional processing, and even shrink parts of the brain, the Age reports. All cannabis smokers—not just high-risk groups such as the young and those susceptible to mental illness—can experience effects equivalent to those of a mild brain injury, Australian researchers found. More »

  • Watchdogs Say Hollywood Going to Pot

    May 20, 08 1:26 PM CDT
    Watchdogs Say Hollywood Going to Pot Production of cannabis-centric films is hitting a high, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Once pigeonholed with Cheech and Chong and low-budget cult films such as The Big Lebowski, movies that feature pot-smoking characters now tend toward mainstream frat-house humor. This summer alone will see four marijuana-tinged releases, including the Judd Apatow-produced Pineapple Express. More »

Health officials worry that the increase in marijuana's potency could lead to more addiction and mental disorders.   ((c) Meepocity)
A report released by the White House has found that the level of active ingredient THC in marijuana is at its highest in over 30 years.   ((c) statuesque)
Researchers analyzed samples of marijuana seized by law enforcement dating back as far as 1975.   ((c) r0bz)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

drugs • smoking • marijuana • drug use • cannabis • weed


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »