For decades, opponents of cannabis legalization have alleged that today’s cannabis is more potent, and therefore more potentially dangerous to health, than that enjoyed by previous generations. But despite this opinion’s popularity, there exists little real-world support for it.
Regulation Works, Prohibition Doesn’t
Frustrated by the rapid spread of cannabis legalization, opponents across the country are proposing arbitrary state-level caps on THC potency in an attempt to roll back and recriminalize cannabis. Their fear tactics, however, are unfounded, and their efforts are inconsistent with sound public policy.
The University of Mississippi has been compiling cannabis potency data since the 1970s. Their information shows that the average amount of THC in domestically produced cannabis has indeed increased moderately over time. But this elevated potency does not necessarily mean there’s an increased safety risk with modern marijuana.
Higher-potency varieties of cannabis and products have been around almost as long as the plant itself — and most of the average increase in strength over the past decades can be compared to the difference between beer and wine, or between a cup of tea and an espresso. While consuming too much THC in one sitting can trigger unpleasant effects, such as dysphoria, these effects are only temporary and typically resolve themselves within a matter of hours absent any intervention. Widespread claims that exposure to more potent cannabis products is more likely to cause consumers to experience forms of psychosis or other psychiatric illnesses are largely unfounded. Plus, THC is incapable of causing lethal overdose, regardless of the potency or quantity consumed.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is routinely available and sold in quantities that could easily kill a person. Nonetheless, handles of vodka and other hard liquors are available in stores across the country. Much like how alcohol is available in a variety of potencies, from light beer to hard liquor, cannabis is as well — therefore, most users regulate their intake accordingly.
Also similar to the alcohol industry, cannabis products of the highest potency — think hash and concentrates — comprise a significantly smaller share of the legal market than do more moderately potent products like flower. However, banning these higher-potency products from regulated state-legal marketplaces is likely to spawn a new black market that’s dangerous for consumers. Since those manufactured products with higher concentrations of THC are the most difficult to safely produce, ceding them to the unregulated market — where there are no manufacturing standards and no controls or identification checks over who may purchase those products — is the last thing policymakers should be considering. Rather than trying to outlaw high-potency cannabis products, lawmakers and regulators should be advocating for policies that better educate consumers about how much THC is in the products they consume and the potential effects so that consumers can better make informed and educated choices.
When authorities know who is selling cannabis products, where cannabis is being sold, when and to whom, it creates a tightly regulated system that empowers legitimate, taxpaying businesses instead of cartels and drug dealers. Plus, robust testing and strict labeling and packaging requirements help ensure cannabis products are safe and identifiable and that consumers know what they are getting.
As long as there is a demand for higher-potency THC products, not allowing them to be produced by the regulated market is detrimental to public health and safety. Practical regulation that allows for the limited, licensed and controlled production and sale of cannabis reduces the risk of harmful products finding their way to the market. And when combined with public education and the enforcement of age restrictions, sensible regulations can also help minimize cannabis use or abuse among young people.
At the end of the day, we must address public health concerns with facts, not unfounded hyperbole. When cannabis legalization opponents are forced to fall back on tired, misguided Reefer Madness-era arguments, it’s because they recognize the truth: Prohibition doesn’t work — and regulation does.
