'Pot 2.0':U.S. marijuana growing stronger

[Piffington]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/25/marijuana.strength.reut/index.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The marijuana being sold across the United States is stronger than ever, which could explain a growing number of medical emergencies that involve the drug, government drug experts on Wednesday.

Analysis of seized samples of marijuana and hashish showed that more of the cannabis on the market is of the strongest grade, the White House and National Institute for Drug Abuse said.

They cited data from the University of Mississippi's Marijuana Potency Project showing the average levels of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in the products rose from 7 percent in 2003 to 8.5 percent in 2006.

The level had risen steadily from 3.5 percent in 1988.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fears the problem is not being taken seriously because many adults remember the marijuana of their youth as harmless.

"It's really not the same type of marijuana," Volkow said in a telephone interview.

"This could explain why there has been an increase in the number of medical emergencies involving marijuana."

The pharmacy department at Mississippi has compiled data on 59,369 samples of cannabis, 1,225 hashish samples, and 443 hash oil samples confiscated since 1975. "The highest concentration of (THC) found in a cannabis (marijuana) sample is 33.12 percent from Oregon State Police," the report reads.
'This is pot 2.0'

Hashish and hash oil concentrations are far higher, as they consist of processed plant product.

"Researchers and treatment experts have argued for some time that today's more powerful marijuana has more harmful effects on users. This report underscores that we are no longer talking about the drug of the 1960s and 1970s -- this is Pot 2.0," John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a statement.

Volkow said demand has driven growers to cultivate the stronger stuff. "It is the market," she said. "Like in the market you favor the best tomatoes. When people buy marijuana, they don't want a weak cigarette."

Volkow's institute has been studying the effects of cannabis, whose active ingredients are very similar to important brain chemicals called endogenous cannabinoids.

"It clearly is addictive," she said.

If children and adolescents use marijuana, it could affect their still-developing brains, she said.

The report said more than 60 percent of teens receiving treatment for drug abuse or dependence report marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.

"Although the overall number of young people using marijuana has declined in recent years, there is still reason for great concern, particularly since roughly 60 percent of first-time marijuana users are under 18 years old," Volkow said.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 4.1 million Americans, or 1.7 percent of the population, report they use marijuana.

33% ...The PNW has the dank!

 

[momb0]

These dumb Mother fuckers....No man that's what they want you to think....They want you to feel scared of it so people wont do it....The weed is more potent yes but it's a good high and Most people would rather smoke potent weed then move on to something else....As they say it's a gateway drug my fuckn cock....WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO...YOU DO!.....There saying it fucks yer developing brain up...NOT clinicle studys say it gives you new growth of brain cells using it in a productive way.

 

[Farmer P4t]

So police agencies across the US have access to gas spectrometer equipment?

4.1 million pot smokers? Quadruple that and I might take the article even half seriously.

 

[diggle]

Where are these medical emergencies involving the drug?

I know when I buy some herb, I'm always worried about getting "a weak cigarette." Seriously wtf....

People who don't know the first thing about herb seem to always be the ones hating on it.

 

[Bob Labla]

how can cnn print this kind of drivel

 

[VictoryGardener]

stronger now?? uhhh... ok, smoke some 30 year old landrace sativa and tell me weed is stronger now than back in the 70's... this is absurd... how can CNN print this LEO propaganda..."clearly" addictive??? my ass.... the only thing "clear" about all this is that this clearly proves, many, many times over, that the DEA and other agencies will say anything to keep this shit illegal... once one argument is disproven, they come out with a string of new ones.. and once those are disproven, they propogate more lies and misinformation... while folks are sent to jail and punished for a substance half as dangerous as cigarettes or alcohol

ahh but those are good drugs! Those are good, taxed drugs!

 

[pipeline]

No kiddin! If there actually is more good herb around these days, its because more people are growing it themselves and most commonly they're not going to grow crappy seed, dry the harvest in the sun, and compress it..... like some of the shipped cannabis that has been so dominant in the past.....

 

[The Uncola]

"MJ 2.0"- That is so hyper cool. Anything to push the idea that 'this ain't your grandpa's weed dude". I'd like to think that my personal stash has pumped up the numbers but they have never gotten their filthy hands on it. The seed stock is certainly better after the mad scientists in Holland are done with it. They never mention self titration. It's still the same old plant.

Nothing to see here.......

 

[Pops]

There is only one piece of valuable info that they left out of this report. WHERE THE FUCK DO WE GET THIS 33% WEED? I am sure that we all want to know, for purely scientific interest, of course.

 

[pico]

Stronger weed just means you don't have to smoke a whole lid to get high. Easier on the lungs.

 

[Grat3fulh3ad]

So police agencies across the US have access to gas spectrometer equipment?

4.1 million pot smokers? Quadruple that and I might take the article even half seriously.

The 4.1 million is just in California, right? why didn't they count the rest of the country? lol

 

[tngreen]

The 4.1 million is just in California, right? why didn't they count the rest of the country? lol

no joke! that article is rediculous! of course after they talk about these increased medical emergencies, they dont say what they involved or how many cases have even happened. just another rediculous propaganda stunt that fuels the hate on us that people blindly believe because its from the "truthful" source of CNN. what a crock of shit

 

[Nikijad4210]

Damn man, ya beat me to it, I just read that on CNN. Talk about a total load of horseshit, and from CNN, no less. They'd been making strides--albeit minor--in the right direction over the past year with a few positive articles on medical cannabis. But now they publish this & throw a wrench in the machine?

 

[Guest]

I thought this thread was already here some where. The article states that Marijuana was not the primary cause for emergency room visits just that the word marijuana came up in the emergency room visit procedure. Funny how they manipulate the words.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Adminstration, marijuana was involved in 242,200 visits to hospital emergency rooms in 2005. This means that the patient mentioned using marijuana and does not mean the drug directly caused the accident or condition being treated, SAMHSA says.

Here is the part that was left of this article but was on another site. They even took this out of the CNN article.

 

[Guest]

Damn man, ya beat me to it, I just read that on CNN. Talk about a total load of horseshit, and from CNN, no less. They'd been making strides--albeit minor--in the right direction over the past year with a few positive articles on medical cannabis. But now they publish this & throw a wrench in the machine?

No shit I was starting to think cnn was coming around ....but then they go and report this. They should leave the propaganda to Fox news

 

[Nikijad4210]

They should leave the propaganda to Fox news

No shit, let the industry pros spew the BS.

 

[Guest]

No kiddin! If there actually is more good herb around these days, its because more people are growing it themselves and most commonly they're not going to grow crappy seed, dry the harvest in the sun, and compress it..... like some of the shipped cannabis that has been so dominant in the past.....

For sure. After reading this i couldn't help but wonder if they got a hold of some of the weed I grew.
God gave man Marijuana. Man made Meth. And yet some assholes want to make Marijuana worse than Meth. WTF?

 

[Guest]

I bet BILL O' RETARD will be having a segment on this soon!

 

[pipeline]

More potent cannabis does not have more harmful consequences..... Wheres the expers and reports that say this?????

Less carcinogen intake if anything!!!

 

[o.gkushowns]

many adults remember the marijuana of their youth as harmless.

So they admit it WAS harmless. assholes
peace