Cannabis Capitalism Comes Out of the Closet
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.
from Reuters
This has been a regular recurring story now for going on 20 years, which can be scientifically confirmed by independent researchers around the country, including (full disclosure) several associated with the Dowbrigade Research and Development Department (DRDD). Let’s go to the archives.
During the initial invasion of pot-smoking hippies in the late 60’s and early 70’s, most of the marijuana was local scrub weed, gone to seed and poorly cured. In the rich American loam the variety of cannabis (hemp) grown extensively throughout the mid-West during WWII for making strong, durable rope, grows to monstrous proportions. Specimens have been seen over 20 feet high and as thick around at the stump as a telephone pole. Smoking this variety of pot, with a THC level of about 0.5% had little effect unless large quantities were consumed, in which case a wicked headache could be achieved.
During this period the “primo” pot on the street was driven up from Mexico, and weighed in at about 2.5% THC.
The 1970’s was the heyday of “commercial Colombian”, grown by the first of the grand Colombian Cartels, on huge, well-protected plantations by the ton, shipped to the US aboard a network of phantom freighters and ferried ashore by sleek cigarette boats that could out-run anything the Coast Guard could put in the water. It was undistinguished but strong, tipping the scales at about 3% THC.
In the 1980’s the continued growth in numbers, affluence and sophistication of marijuana consumers led to the development of higher-quality, outdoor domestic production, primarily in isolated areas of Texas and the Pacific northwest. The seed stock was gathered by itinerant world travelers in cultures where cannabis cultivation was a time-honored tradition.
In these cultures programmed interbreeding, stem splicing (a primitive form of genetic manipulation) and closely controlled growing conditions had produced super-active strains many generations old, which reached THC concentrations of 5 or 6%. This is a process of guided natural selection somewhat akin to evolution, in this case producing a much more potent product.
From Colombia, Panama, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Nepal came the seeds, tiny arks of arcane knowledge, to our shores, where they were transformed by modern techniques of manipulated plant genetics and American ingenuity into the multi-billion dollar domestic marijuana industry which is meeting the demands of discerning consumers today.
By the 90’s most domestic production had moved indoors, and sales of hydroponic potting beds, grow-lux lighting arrays and high-nutrient liquid growing medium skyrocketed. Current crops can have THC levels of 8-10%.
Local police and DEA agents have started to search for these grow houses by reviewing secondary evidence of the operations; receipts for lights and plant food, ridiculously high electrical bills in seemingly unoccupied properties, banks of lights seen to go on and off in unison at regular intervals, even the infra-red heat signature of the house itself, as measured by heat-sensitive instruments in unmarked cars or even helicopters.
This tendency has resulted in several interesting court cases questioning whether training sophisticated electronic detectors on a house without a search warrant constituted an unconstitutional search, and therefore makes any subsequent seizure inadmissible. In California v. McGillicutty…..but we digress. What was the topic, anyway? Oh yeah, the increasing potency of street weed in the US.
Although it surely doesn’t figure in the University of Mississippi study, one prime result of the increase is that millions of dope fiends are smoking less and enjoying it more.
August 27th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
It is honestly pretty astounding how far marijuana cultivation technology has come. .5% to nearly 10% is a HUGE jump. Do you have any idea what sort of cap we are looking at for max saturation of THC in a marijuana/cannabis plant?
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:57 am
We invite you to reflect about the fact that more powerfull doesn’t mean more dangerous. All depends by how each substance is used. Greetings by Ministry of Cannabis, a marijuana seeds bank, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
December 11th, 2007 at 3:06 am
As the ministry explained, the idea that it’s more dangerous is patently false. We shouldn’t make salt illegal because eating a lot is bad for you.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Awesome have you done any testing with any LED grow lights?
April 6th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
The DEA is violating the states’ rights to be their own laboratories for state programs and policies. The “founding fathers” would be appalled (at least those of them that weren’t federalists or didn’t grow fields of hemp [with slaves working them] for profit over cotton). Even Justice O’Connor said in her Supreme Court opinion on the matter that while she doesn’t care much for marijuana herself, she recognizes and respects the states’ rights to experiment and mold its own public policy as the states’ people want it. Down with federalism and unwarranted, ignorant judicial activism (ahemSCALIAcough)!
April 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
with the economy being in such a bad situation and the recession we are sure that cannabis will really be on the rise in the next year. The public will start to grow and we will experience something I like to call a pot boom. Anyway we are currently growing with LEDs to consume power and this is going well we are using the lightblaze400 to save costs on electricity. LED grow lights although hydroponic systems aren’t too expensive the nutrients are pricy. We think people will also start making their own mixes of nutrients to cut cost. Welcome to the pot boom of 2008
September 8th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
The united states should legalize marijuana,then capitalize on the market . That is the smart thing to do
October 31st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
The key I guess….dont get caught. Go discreet with
http://www.igrowwithleds.com
November 10th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The Netherlands are going to revise there drug police in 2010 and are thinking of making cannabis, cannabis seeds coffeeshop and growshops illegal
March 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
That is a tremendous jump in potency. A friend just gave me a small amount of hemp seed which is supposed to be some super food. I am amazed at the law which doesn’t allow this food product to be grown in the US.
With Cigarettes though, I don’t think that nicotine is much of an addiction. I think it is much more of a habit and emotional tool for distraction. Physically the chemical dependency lasts for a very short time, just a couple of days. What most people who are having difficulty quitting experience is the emotional turmoil from losing the crutch they’ve depended upon. That’s not physical addiction.
That’s why smoking hypnosis is my favored choice.
July 26th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
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August 28th, 2009 at 9:41 am
I’ve seen both sides of the ongoing argument to legalize weed.
On the one hand, I live in Europe where the laws can range from strict to lax. For example, just down the road from where I used to live in Geneva was a store with ‘apparatus’ for growing and using all your own supplies. It was a ‘medicinal’ shop.
On the other hand, as a counselor and therapist, I have had to deal with on-the-edge of psychosis individuals who spent from the age of 16 to their late 20’s smoking pot every day (during work hours as well). The withdrawal symptoms have been horrific with certain individuals going through extreme paranoia, thinking the ‘devil’ was chasing them around town. It took about 2 years to fully get through this phase.
I think the more powerful a substance is, the more potential damage it can do to certain individuals.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
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November 26th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
No doubt it has gotten way stronger, not just in the US but globally. There has also been an increase in cannabis that has been artifically modified with silica or brick dust to imitate THC crystals, and it is sprayed with water to appear more fresh and heavier. Now, if it was legalised…all of these issues could be regulated and controlled !