U.S. pot usually averages 9% THC. In Australia, a new study claims the average there is 15% with a high of 40%.
The study, conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, analyzed samples confiscated in the state of New South Wales.
"Analysis of the cannabinoid content of cannabis plants is of interest given the likelihood that both the medicinal effects and adverse health effects of cannabis consumption may be dictated by the concentration and interplay of certain phytocannabinoids," the study states. "There is international concern over research findings suggesting that contemporary cannabis cultivation is biased towards plants with high levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the cannabinoid responsible for most of the psychoactive effects of cannabis, and negligible levels of cannabidiol (CBD), and other trace cannabinoids, that have therapeutic potential and may counteract some of the unpleasant effects of THC. A general theme of these concerns is whether cannabis is somehow a 'different' drug to that consumed in previous decades, and whether increased THC content and/or diminished levels of CBD and other trace cannabinoids is accentuating adverse effects of cannabis on mental health."
