In 2022, the federal government reported that, in samples seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, average levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC—the psychoactive compound in weed that makes you feel high—had more than tripled compared with 25 years earlier, from 5 to 16 percent. That may understate how strong weed has gotten. Walk into any dispensary in the country, legal or not, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single product advertising such a low THC level. Most strains claim to be at least 20 to 30 percent THC by weight; concentrated weed products designed for vaping can be labeled as up to 90 percent.
The high that most adult weed smokers remember from their teenage years is most likely one produced by “mids,” as in, middle-tier weed. In the pre-legalization era, unless you had a connection with access to top-shelf strains such as Purple Haze and Sour Diesel, you probably had to settle for mids (or, one step down, “reggie,” as in regular weed) most of the time. Today, mids are hard to come by.
The simplest explanation for this is that the casual smokers who pine for the mids and reggies of their youth aren’t the industry’s top customers. Serious stoners are. According to research by Jonathan P. Caulkins, a public-policy professor at Carnegie Mellon, people who report smoking more than 25 times a month make up about a third of marijuana users but account for about two-thirds of all marijuana consumption. Such regular users tend to develop a high tolerance, and their tastes drive the industry’s cultivation decisions.
This article feels like it was written by an old man yelling at clouds. “… Back in my day we smoked mid and we liked it” shakes fist and then uses it as a reason to go back to prohibition. Why can’t we just make it legal and let the free market figure it out.
Turns out more THC for the buck means people can make a few months supply of edibles out of a few grams. Cost effective!
This is such bad reporting about cannabis that it makes me think The Atlantic probably has very poor standards for all their articles.
I do agree with the old man yelling sentiment, but in fairness to the article it has ,imo, become a lot easier to get too high in the last decade. By that I mean becoming uncomfortably high. As a daily user for the last decade I smoke mainly because it has been the only reliable way to help me sleep I’ve ever tried, but I honestly enjoy being high as well.
I have issues with anxiety though and it definitely is really easy to accidentally overdo it. I’ve seen this sentiment grow in a minor portion of the community.
Luckily it’s a super super easy fix, add cbd bud. When I was reading scientific lit I saw many journal articles that discussed cbds ability to help with thc side effects. I don’t feel like digging them up right now.
i think the jump compared to 20-30 years ago is like 10x or something which they are finding very hard to handle.
also the balance of thc/cbd has changed massively - almost no cbd
i have noticed that lower thc and higher cbd is more available so i think the free market is catering to the old heads
Sounds like someone has never ever ever set foot in a dispensary and asked for a “low thc high CBD strain”.
Total nonsense that contradicts my literal past lived experience, and probably my experience this afternoon.
While the majority of products I see at dispensaries are high THC. There are always some lower options. Currently getting shake at $30 to $40/ounce and it’s about little above “mid”. 15% THC but I assume because it’s shake only, it’s slightly lower like 12%.
I buy online and get lots of different strains and mixes. I was in Colorado recently - stopped in a dispensary and asked for some type 2…blank stare.
Because it’s gotten so much stronger, I actually smoke less to get to that “sweet spot,” which saves me money.
Won’t catch me complaining.
Besides that I just grow the weed I want to consume. Legalization is great 💖
Can confirm, legally growing your own weed is the best. It is a beautiful plant and gardening is a great, relaxing hobby.
Just look at my nice ladyplant here.
I’ve been growing in Virginia for a few years now and I’m blown away with what you can make at home.
I compared it to expensive weed from a dispensary and it is way better. No machine trimmed bullshit full of plant growth regulators that can cause cancer.
Unfortunately I’ll be moving to a Prohibition State soon, going to suck to give it up but worth it for the lower rent
This argument shows up every few years and its always been BS. Not that weed doesn’t get stronger, but it always fails to mention how the majority of people simply consume less. This happened when growers figured out sinsemilla (seedless) weed. This happened when continued cross breeding techniques and lab testing became more regular in the horticulture aspect of the business. This happened when vape pens, dabbing, and further concentration methods showed up. Ultimately it’s up to the adults consuming these products to determine how much is “too much” or “too strong”.
Am I for bigger warnings on packages? Yes. Am I for heavier regulation of the industry as a whole? Definitely. Am I for having honest respectful conversations with teenagers and kids about the pros and cons of drugs use that doesn’t demonize nor glorify it? Hell yes. And ultimately, am I for responsible use? Absofuckinglutely.
But I get so fucking annoyed by seeing that this kind of scare tactic article shows up every few years, pretty much beat for beat trying to demonize the drug exactly the same bs article, every time…every few years. No new news. No new insights. Just the same old shit with slightly updated data. We get it, the weed is stronger. Its because people started to give more of a shit about the quality of what they were putting into their bodies. That’s because the cannabis industry became more legitimate and regulated. That’s a good thing.
Now I’ve got my criticisms of the modern cannabis industry, but it has more to do with my problems with how capitalism encourages oligopolistic practices, which definitely has manifested in the cannabis industry here in the States.
But I’m definitely not complaining about the fact the weed is stronger. I can go out and buy ether alcohol and drink myself to death way quicker than with a bottle of vodka. It doesn’t mean I think ether shouldn’t be available. If I want to kill myself with ether alcohol, I’m an adult, I’m informed on what ether alcohol is and the dangers of using it. I should have the freedom to use it as I see fit. Same with strong ass cannabis.
The mg and percentages are right there on the package, you’ve got more research available today from legitimate chemists on the subject you can look up right now. Read that and make your decisions off of that, not this trash. At least then you could truly say you were making an Educated decision.
Their explanation is pretty dumb. The main driver for more concentrated drugs in general is money. If you can make more money with less material, its going to be easier to transport, hide, trade. Thats what drug cartels care about. To be blunt the reason cannabis is more potent now is because it was/is illegal.
Like exactly the same thing happened during alcohol prohibition. Beer disappeared, and spirits got harder and harder.
Seriously, what is up with us as a species? Are we still adapting to being able to record history?
What? But the volume is the same. It’s not like people are buying smaller amounts they’re just smoking stronger stuff.
Best way to balance this is to buy some cbd bud and mix it in to return it to healthier levels.
Well I’m in the UK but people have been smoking the same amounts for the past ~15 years when grass became popular. Before then it was much denser ‘soapbar’ hash. Grass is a lot harder to smuggle and takes up more volume so it’s not being driven by that.
Those responsible for 2/3 of consumption have had their tolerance pushed up by rising THC levels the past 15 years, but they’re still buying the same amounts every month. The inbalance between THC/CBD is also causing a lot more anxiety and psychiatric symptoms to emerge and pushing people away from it.
I believe there’s some efforts in legal states to move away from the high-THC strains causing these issues, so you’re right that the illegality is ultimately causing these terrible practices.
If you take one peek in any grower community you will see that that is not the case. This isn’t cocaine. Growers do not seek just THC, they seek to improve trichome development in general. This includes flavor molecules, Entourage chemicals, and the main chemicals that you know of.
We refer to ourselves as trichome growers, not cannabis growers.
Im sure for recreational or small scale growers this is true, but i doubt that big drug operations care about quality as much. As long as you only use it yourself, you can grow and breed it to whatever needs you have ofcourse.
