By: Vanessa Countryman
In the land of cannabis, is a plant called marijuana. People have been using it for centuries, but something started to change over time.
“Average THC concentration has increased substantially during recent decades due to several factors such as genetic breeding, and indoor growing conditions, and as THC is the main psychoactive compound found in cannabis, its effects have increased substantially,” said Shauli Lev-Ran, Co-founder and Academic Director of Israel Center on Addiction. “Furthermore, in several places the age of onset of cannabis use has decreased, further adding insult to the adolescent brain when exposed to such high levels of THC. This is particularly right for more regular users of cannabis during adolescents.”
As marijuana became more potent, its effects became more intense. According to the article, “The Problem with the Current High Potency THC Marijuana from the Perspective of an Addiction Psychiatrist”, by The Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, A lot of people who voted for marijuana legalization didn't realize that today's marijuana is much stronger than what was around in the past. The THC, which is the addictive part, has increased a lot. There are receptors in our brain that THC fits into, but they're not meant for us to take in THC. The problem is that the marijuana available now has much higher THC levels compared to before. In dispensaries, strains with THC content ranging from 17-28% are common.
“I don’t smoke anymore because I have a job that drug tests me but I used to smoke everyday for years,” said Georgia Southern Grad Student Brooklynn Tegeler. “I truly could not eat or sleep without doing it either.”
There was a study found on Sciencedirect.com called “Acute and residual effects of marijuana: Profiles of plasma THC levels, physiological, subjective, and performance measures.” In this study, there were three experienced marijuana smokers who smoked either 0, 1, or 2 marijuana cigarettes with 2.57% THC. They did this on two different days.
They measured things like heart rate, subjective feelings, and performance. They found that right after smoking, heart rate increased, people felt the effects of the drug, and performance was slightly worse on some tasks. The effects lasted up to 24 hours, but were less noticeable on the second day. So, it seems like marijuana can affect performance for a while after smoking.
So, it's clear that the amount of THC in marijuana has risen over time, and it can have a significant impact on our bodies and minds. It's important for people to be aware of these changes and make informed choices.