BY LAUREN E. LeBEL PHOTO ISTOCK
Fact vs. myth
How potent is
marijuana today? P erhaps you have been reluctant to try cannabis or marijuana due to precedents on the topic. Although are you sure that what you have heard is correct? Rather than listening to others, it is important to develop a personal opinion based on facts. For starters, let’s work to separate fact from fiction. As marijuana continues to become legalized across the United States, the psychoactive drug is becoming more accepted for medical and recreational use. With this growth, consumers have noticed that marijuana is much more potent than it used to be. According to BrainFacts.org, this realization is true. “The amount of the main psychoactive in marijuana — a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — has skyrocketed because of advances in plant breeding and purification over the last few decades,” said Alexis Wnuk, science writer and editor for BrainFacts. org. “This is not your parents’ marijuana, and this is definitely not your grandparents’ marijuana. People need to be 42
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aware of that. Some parents might say, ‘oh, I used marijuana pretty regularly when I was a teenager and it was fine.’ But this is a different beast altogether,” she continued. In terms of its THC content, marijuana is a lot stronger today. As marijuana usage becomes more accepted, consumers might have the assumption that the drug is not dangerous. In comparison to other drugs and alcohol this could be the case, but every drug has potential of creating its own dangers for individuals who have certain susceptibilities. “For example, for people with a daily history of addiction, consuming high potency marijuana products increases their risk of developing addiction. Or if someone has a family history of schizophrenia, marijuana can increase their risk of developing psychosis at some point,” said Wnuk. Additionally, as the drug runs through the entire body, it can affect some vital organs such as the lungs and heart. “The safest use is no use. But the level of danger really depends on an individual’s health and family risk factors, as well as the
potency of the products they use and how frequently they use them,” added Wnuk. A very common myth often linked with marijuana is that the drug is not addictive. Unfortunately, this is false. “Of all the people who use marijuana, only about nine percent will meet the criteria for addiction at some point in their lives. But, if you look at people who start using marijuana as adolescents, when the brain is still developing and is quite vulnerable, that number goes up to 17 percent. And when you look at daily users, between 25 and 50 percent will develop an addiction,” said Wnuk. Although the majority of consumers will not become addicted, it is possible. Before partaking in any consumption or developing an assumption of your own, make sure you know the facts they are important. References https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/diet-and-lifestyle/2021/marijuana-myths-042021
