Why is Modern Cannabis More Potent than It Used to Be?

Given enough time, everything changes. It’s a sort of unspoken law of the universe if you think about it. We as individuals grow and change and adapt to the world around us – with the global response to COVID-19 as possibly the best example of this in recent history. With that thinking in mind, it shouldn’t be too surprising that cannabis is more potent (among many other changes over the years) than it used to be.

But that doesn’t tell you why modern cannabis is more potent than it was in generations past, and it certainly doesn’t explain how we got here. In researching this topic, I found a lot of articles about how potent today’s cannabis products are and the possible dangers they pose – but I found very little on why cannabis products became so potent, to begin with or how that change developed.

So, my goal here is to take a comprehensive look at the potency of modern medical and recreational grade cannabis vs the cannabis that our parents and grandparents experienced pre-legalization.

Cannabis was Much Less Potent in the 70s through the 90s

As far as research in the U.S., most data refers to the Potency Monitoring Program, which is a project led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and conducted by the University of Mississippi. According to their data that looks back over 50 years, the amount of THC in most cannabis has increased more than ten times in that time.

Looking further, another study from 2020 looked at global trends across the U.S., U.K., the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and New Zealand. What they found was an average increase in THC potency of o.29% per year from 1970 to 2017.

That put average concentrations of THC in the early 70s were around 1.5% THC, meaning anything 2% or above would’ve been considered potent. In the 90s the average strain still had in a range of 5-8% THC and even though these strains still exist today they’ve been bred to keep up with at least the lowest potency expectations or are used in production things like concentrates, edibles, and topicals instead of sold as flower.

It was around the 2010s that we started seeing potencies that we’re more familiar with today. Anything 12-15% or above was average then and on the lower end of what you’ll find on the market less than two decades later.

Medical and Recreational Legalization Gave Cannabis Enthusiasts Purpose and Opportunity

The legendary breeders that have helped shape today’s cannabis industry have done so primarily at the request of patients and consumers, while some do it purely to see how far they can push the limit. The same goes for producers who create potent concentrates that may contain 90% THC or higher in some cases.

When medical marijuana was legalized with recreational legalization following in the decades later, it gave many who were already experimenting with more potent products a literal license to do so – and consumers the license or permission to buy and use it.

Modern Cannabis is More Potent in Both THC and CBD

This is especially true of those who opened their doors in the medical industry and have remained true to their dedication to patients first. In these companies, you’ll often see strains that are bred and products that are designed with specific subsets of people or specific ailments and/or symptoms in mind.

This doesn’t limit itself to increasing THC percentages, though perhaps it started there.

As people started to learn and understand the potential benefits of CBD—all without a high—breeders started focusing heavily on cultivating strains that were high in CBD as well. This gave way to strains like Charlotte’s Web and many like it that have benefited thousands of patients beyond the one of their namesake or origin story.

Breeders Optimize Cannabinoid and Terpene Profiles for Different Uses

The reasons for increased potency range from consumers who want to push their limits to those who may metabolize THC differently, but the solution was the same: make stronger strains.

Eventually, this led to the discovery that THC was not the only component of the buzz, and increased THC doesn’t always lead to the desired result. So, breeders started focusing on other cannabinoids and terpenes as well.

These days, educated consumers know that they shouldn’t focus solely on the THC percentage of a strain when shopping, though sometimes that instinct to lean towards the higher THC strains is still going to be there.

Are High THC Cannabis Products More Addictive or Dangerous?

So, at the beginning of this article, I mentioned that there are a lot of articles that focus entirely on the potential negative impacts of high-THC cannabis strains and concentrates like wax and shatter. You may have read some of the horror stories of parents whose children saw their lives in a downward spiral after they started dabbing.

While these cautionary tales shouldn’t be disregarded, they also shouldn’t be used as a measuring stick for what is considered typical by any means. There is absolutely valid research into things like cannabis use disorder, which would fall under the category of addiction.

However, like alcoholism, opioid addiction, or even addictions like gambling and sex, it’s not necessarily the substance that caused the addiction – addiction on its own is a psychiatric condition, and it affects people of all kinds, and both genetic and environmental factors contribute to someones likelihood of becoming addicted (and almost any addiction, no matter how seemingly harmless, is still addiction).

Some Research Suggests Negative Impacts of High THC Concentrate Use in Teens

What we should be looking at specifically are statistics, surveys, and studies that can give us real facts and not stories that tug on our hearts telling us what a danger this is. We don’t want a repeat of Reefer Madness, we want an educated population that can make intelligent decisions about their own health.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, around 35% of 12–17-year-olds perceive cannabis as something of “great risk or harm,” and that can be a positive, as long as these teens are properly educated.

Since teens’ minds are still developing, it can potentially be harmful (unless there is a medical use where the benefits outweigh potential risks) to introduce any substance that alters normal brain chemistry and development.

In the case of high-THC cannabis products, some studies have found that teens 12 – 17 were twice as likely to develop depression and suicidal ideation as those who said they used cannabis. That’s something to be concerned about – and something that both needs to be further researched and something teens and parents should be aware of.

This is also another argument for not only for increased awareness, but for legalization and regulation as a whole, since studies consistently show teen use decreases post-legaliztion.

Small-Scale Research Found “No Difference” in Cognition in Daily Consumers While Stoned

On the other hand, in most cases, we’re talking about those of us who are of legal age to consume cannabis where we live and are obtaining our cannabis through legal dispensaries. In that case, it seems that while some people may be more sensitive to THC, most responsible consumers won’t see negative impacts from occasionally consuming a stronger strain than we’re used to.

Interestingly, one study that looked at cognition while intoxicated decided instead of putting cannabis consumers in an anxiety inducing new environment where they are asked to consume a specific amount of cannabis, they would take a different approach.

The study allowed their subjects to remain in their home environment and to consume however much of their own cannabis as they normally would to reach their desired state – and cognition testing was completed pre-and-post consumption. In that study, researchers found almost little to no change in cognitive abilities after “getting stoned” for those who were regular (weekly or daily consumers).

Maybe “Start Low, Go Slow” Doesn’t Only Apply to Edibles Anymore

These days, especially when it comes to cannabis concentrates, it can be hard to find strains that aren’t at least 15-20% THC or higher, with many products in the high 20s on most markets. Add the confusion over legal hemp products that have legally low concentrations of delta-9-THC and extremely high concentrations of other THC variants, and it can be hard to know what’s going to be too strong and what won’t.

The best advice that any veteran consumer, medical patient, physician, or budtender can give to a new consumer is going to be “start low and go slow,” no matter what way you choose to medicate. It’s the safest way to ensure that you don’t find yourself with adverse effects that you have to wait out or at least avoid finding yourself in the ER over excessive THC exposure.

The Truth: High THC Strains Just Aren’t for Everyone

There are plenty of reasons that someone might prefer a high THC strain, just like there are tons of reasons someone might prefer one that is high in CBD.

Some symptoms like nausea, chronic pain, and migraines often benefit from high THC concentrations for quick and lasting relief. Similarly, some people may metabolize THC at a faster rate than others, meaning it not only takes more for them to reach the desired point, but it also takes more to maintain those effects long-term.

However, as mentioned earlier, some people may be more sensitive to the potential negative effects of THC, like paranoia and increased anxiety. If that’s the case, balancing THC and CBD or opting for lower THC and/or higher CBD strains is your best bet.

High THC strains certainly have their place and purpose, but so do high CBD strains and ones filled with specific terpenes like potentially beneficial limonene that don’t get nearly enough attention. Safety and responsible use are up to us as consumers to be smart about their purchases – and it is up to those of us who know better to educate those who don’t.