Getting too high can be a pretty terrible experience. What starts off as a calm, relaxing buzz can quickly spiral into paranoia and anxiety. One minute you’re chilling, the next your mind is racing with worst-case scenarios, and everything feels like it’s falling apart. No one enjoys that kind of high.
Since recreational marijuana became legal in more places, the conversation around THC levels has picked up. People are more concerned about how strong today’s weed is—especially since dispensaries are pushing super-potent strains. A famous example of overconsumption happened in 2014, when journalist Maureen Dowd had a panic episode after consuming too much cannabis-infused chocolate.
Lately, this concern has resurfaced as THC percentages continue to rise and legal markets expand. Some lawmakers want to introduce caps on THC levels, proposing limits between 0.3% and 15% in states like New York, Florida, and Colorado. Meanwhile, many commercial strains already sit above 20%.
However, these efforts to regulate cannabis based on THC percentage might miss the mark. Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a Harvard Medical School physician and author of Seeing Through the Smoke, argues that focusing solely on THC content could harm medical users. For instance, people might consume more low-potency cannabis to achieve the same effect, which could be worse for their lungs. In fact, some research suggests that when cannabis is stronger, people naturally use less.
Grinspoon points out the contradiction; back in the day, marijuana was criticized for being weak and requiring a lot of smoking. Now that it’s stronger, critics say that’s the problem. However, reducing THC might just raise costs for those who rely on cannabis for health reasons.
The complexity of cannabis goes beyond just THC percentage. Brien Hoffhine, who runs cultivation at Loudbird Cannabis in Colorado, says the 2018 Farm Bill didn’t account for how cannabis works chemically. For example, THCA—another compound found in raw marijuana—transforms into THC when heated, but it’s not considered in potency laws. On top of that, there are many cannabinoids besides THC that influence the effects.
Potency labels themselves aren’t always reliable. Different labs can give different results for the same plant, and it’s known in the industry that some companies look for labs that report higher numbers.
Marijuana effects also depend on the user. Everyone’s body reacts differently, influenced by their individual endocannabinoid system. Terpenes—found in all plants—also shape the high, making it more relaxing, energizing, or focused.
Concentrates and distillates with THC levels nearing 95% offer intense effects but often lack the nuanced experience of full-spectrum products. Grinspoon believes that lawmakers have put too much focus on high THC when other compounds like CBD and lesser-known cannabinoids can be just as valuable—especially for medical use. Lawmakers need to understand the full science behind cannabis before creating regulations that make sense.
Marijuana industry actors across the board, including enterprises like Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) (TSX: CRON), long for a time when all drug policy decisions made or laws enacted are based on rigorous science rather than misconceptions and half-truths. As more studies on marijuana are conducted, more solid data to inform decision making will become available.
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