Claims of high marijuana potency are overblown, medical research shows

Since then, legalization opponents have repeatedly alleged that cannabis’ potency has exponentially grown stronger. Testifying before Congress in 1996, then-Sen. Joe Biden opined that the potency of 1990s weed was unlike anything America had ever seen. “It’s like comparing buckshot in a shotgun shell to a laser-guided missile,” he said.

Modern day prohibitionists like Michael Mumper and Gregg Raduka (“Georgians should read the research before embracing legalized marijuana,” AJC, May 30) continue to engage in this same rhetorical tactic — alleging that today’s commercialized marijuana products are a “far cry” from the 1990s “laser guided missile” weed.

Cannabis can be overconsumed, but so can alcohol

Let’s set the record straight. First, the availability of higher potency cannabis products is not a phenomenon unique to today’s state-legal markets. In fact, more potent products like hashish have always been publicly available.

Typically, when consumers encounter higher strength marijuana, they ingest lesser quantities of it. This self-regulatory process is known as self-titration.

Second, higher potency marijuana products do not dominate state-legal markets. In fact, retail sales records from legal states show that most consumers tend to prefer and gravitate toward lesser strength products.

Third, unlike alcohol (which is readily available in a variety of potencies, including highly-potent formulations like grain alcohol and absinthe), THC is incapable of causing lethal overdose — regardless of its potency or the quantity consumed.

That’s not to say that cannabis products cannot be overconsumed. They can. But in such instances, consumers typically experience only temporary dysphoria (commonly referred to as a panic attack) — the effects of which dissipate within a few hours. (By contrast, alcohol overconsumption is associated with some 2,200 overdose deaths annually.)

Medical study debunks psychosis cases increase reports

Nonetheless, in order to discourage overconsumption, most states regulate certain cannabis products, like edibles, to single serving sizes. All legal states require that products’ potencies appear on their labels so consumers can make informed decisions prior to consuming them.

In some instances, overexposure to higher strength products might induce temporary psychotic-like symptoms. However, such incidents are exceedingly rare and are typically exclusive to those who are either predisposed to or have a preexisting psychiatric disorder. (Notably, exposure to high-potency alcohol also triggers psychosis in certain consumers.)

Credit: NORML

Credit: NORML

Specifically, an exhaustive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association determined that “state medical and recreational cannabis policies were not associated with a statistically significant increase in rates of psychosis-related health outcomes.”

Overall, most Americans are happy with cannabis legalization. Thirteen years into states’ marijuana legalization experiment, public support for making marijuana legal nationwide has never been higher. To date, 24 states have legalized the adult-use market. None of these states have ever repealed their legalization laws. That’s because these policies are working largely as voters and politicians intended — and because they are preferable to cannabis criminalization.

Ultimately, any potential harms associated with cannabis are best mitigated by a policy of legalization, regulation and education. They are only exacerbated by criminalization, sensationalism and stigmatization.

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.