Splicetoday

Pop Culture
Jun 19, 2008, 06:45AM

THC Levels Reach Record "High"

Researchers at the University of Mississippi have determined that today's pot is more potent then it was 20 years ago, reminding us that in spite of the decline of the dollar and rising energy costs, America can still innovate when it really counts.

The University's Potency Monitoring Project compared current marijuana samples to some seized since 1975 from 48 states. The highest level of concentration in a single sample of the chemical during the project was 37.2 percent. The average amount currently in a single sample is 9.6 percent, a 4 percent increase since 1983, according to the report.

Because of high THC levels achieved through selective breeding of the marijuana plant, individuals are more moody, show depression when marijuana use is restricted and develop an addiction to THC, said Austin Police Department Sgt. Richard Burns.

Individuals who smoke daily and inhale a greater amount of THC in one sitting are at risk of health hazards that include respiratory and mental defects, Maxwell said.

"I think it is a drug that has changed its composition, and I think smoking a blunt compared to a joint is another factor," Maxwell said. "People are smoking a lot more in a cigar than in a joint."

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