The world of cannabis has seen significant changes over the last 100 years with new laws, regulations, science, and perceptions about marijuana in society and its place in medicine. This trend seems likely to continue, with Louisiana legalizing the use of medical marijuana for certain conditions, and many other states seem likely to follow their lead.
Many contemporary cannabis users often proclaim that the cannabis of today is considerably stronger than it was back in the “good ol’ days”. However, science suggests this might be true on a technical level, but there is nuance to this argument that is worth considering.
In this article, we’ll explore how much stronger cannabis is today, and we’ll look at cannabis from decades prior and see how to compares to the products that are available on the market today.
How Much Stronger Is Today’s Cannabis?
Accurate Information on Cannabis Potency Isn’t Always Available
Cannabis has certainly come a long way since the 70s, with incredible new cultivation techniques and technology used by some of the leading cultivators to create the world’s most potent strains.
It’s often touted that cannabis from the 70s and 80s was somewhere between 1% - 12% THC, and that’s probably a decent range for marijuana that was confiscated and researched at the time.
Much of the marijuana that was studied before the late 1990s was from confiscated cannabis, which likely didn’t represent the highest-grade marijuana at the time. Furthermore, the tests used to measure potency have changed a lot in recent years. It’s likely that the testing methods from the 1990’s weren’t nearly as advanced as they are today, so it is important to take all historic THC testing data with a grain of salt.
Though it might be fair to say that the average arrest was for cannabis that contained one to twelve percent THC, that doesn’t mean there weren’t strains with much higher THC content that existed back then.
So How Strong Was Cannabis Back in The Day?
It’s certainly possible that cannabis hovered around 10% THC in the 70s and 80s, though the range was probably a little higher.
5% - 20% THC wouldn’t be an unreasonable guess for cannabis back then, and all things considered, cannabis has grown all over the planet and ancient landrace strains like Durban Poison have tested as high as 25%.
Either way you shake it, cannabis today can test as high as 35% for flower alone, and concentrates can have up to 99% THC, making today’s cannabis products much more potent, while cannabis flower has gotten a little more potent.
That’s not to say all cannabis flower is much more potent today either, on any average day you can usually find cannabis flower in a range from 12% - 25% THC, which is not particularly far from the cannabis of decades prior.
Growing Technology & Techniques Have Led to Big Potency in Cannabis
What’s really made cannabis so much more potent is the science behind inventive growing techniques and the perfection of isolating THC.
Cannabis will grow naturally and produce THC containing buds, but the commercial cultivators of today have developed an incredible array of unique ways to grow the best cannabis possible, with high THC content, lots of terpenes, and an abundance of cannabinoids.
The extraction and processing of these compounds is where you’ll find the significant increase in potency, the plants themselves are still only plants, but how we grow and process cannabis has changed dramatically.
The 1990s saw the first real step forward with cannabis cultivation, with hydroponics and indoor growing becoming standard operating procedure. As these new cultivation techniques spread, so did the high potency cannabis that we’ve come to see dominating today’s market.
Why Cannabis Seems More Potent Today
Cannabis seems more potent today because technically, it is.Cultivators can grow plants with an emphasis on any given cannabinoid or terpene, allowing them to create products with pronounced, specific characteristics designed to maximize its medical benefits.
Although the plant itself hasn’t changed all too much in the last 100 years, the techniques used to cultivate, harvest, and process certainly have. These advancements have allowed an increasing number of products to be created that meet the ever-changing needs of medical marijuana patients.
Get Your Louisiana Medical Marijuana Certification
Louisiana allows you to get a medical marijuana certification for any condition or symptom in which a physician believes that cannabis could help with. Getting your medical marijuana card in Louisiana is simple and easy, and you can even get your card online today!
Getting a medical marijuana card in Louisiana is easier than ever, beat the lines and get your medical marijuana certification in Louisiana today, and you can even get certified for medical marijuana online for ease of use and convenience.
For questions about Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, or how to become a medical marijuana patient in Louisiana, consult with one of our trusted doctors and book an online medical marijuana appointment today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Louisiana Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (833) 253-2943, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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