THC toke signals

Pot potency on the rise

This article was published on 06.19.08

If you partake of pot, and that last bong rip left you more zoned out than you’re used to … well, you’re not alone. According to a new federal report, the potency of marijuana in the United States has risen steadily over the years. Pot seized from 48 states since 1975 showed the concentration of THC has reached a high (no pun intended) of 9.6 percent; compare that to an average of 4 percent in 1983. The report also found that incidences of depression and mental-health problems among teens have risen, and could be linked to marijuana use—those who report having been depressed in the past year are more than twice as likely to have smoked pot during that time. Among the other notable numbers:

14.8 million Americans ages 12 and older who are current users of marijuana

4.2 million Americans who are classified as dependent on marijuana

16.1% Drug-treatment admissions with marijuana listed as the primary drug of abuse (2006)

6% Admissions for marijuana abuse in 1992

Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy