More on Pot Potency

Jacob Sullum | June 13, 2008

Apropos of yesterday's government report on the Worst Best Pot Ever, here is the conclusion of a recent review of the literature on marijuana potency (including data from the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and the Netherlands), published in the July issue of the journal Addiction:

Increased potency has been observed in some countries, but there is enormous variation between samples, meaning that cannabis users may be exposed to greater variation in a single year than over years or decades. Claims made in the public domain about a 20- or 30-fold increase in cannabis potency...are not supported currently by the evidence....More research is needed to determine whether increased potency...translates to harm for users, who need to be provided with accurate and credible information to prevent and reduce harms associated with cannabis use.

These findings comport with the observations offered by several of yesterday's commenters, as well as with the general impression that John Walters is full of shit.

[Thanks to NORML's Paul Armentano for the tip.]