Harms of high THC content can be avoided through education
The Jan. 25 editorial “High-potency marijuana carries health risks” misses several important realities about cannabis users. I agree with most of the harms stated in the article, many of which can be avoided by educating consumers to “start low, go slow,” and by scrupulously avoiding cannabis use in vulnerable populations, such as teens, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people with a history of psychosis.
As a cannabis clinician and participant in the legalization movement for the last quarter century, I have found that, in my experience, most cannabis users regulate their consumption, or self-titrate, to their own level of comfort. Your editorial makes it sound as if cannabis users typically use more and more of the product, but cases of marijuana use disorder are rare. It is uncomfortable to consume too much. This is where the anxiety and paranoia come in, and cannabis users tend to try to avoid this.
I agree that we fetishize high THC levels and that both the cannabis experience and the health of cannabis users might be better with lower THC consumption. We should incorporate the other components of cannabis more, such as CBD and other minor cannabinoids, not just THC. Yet if we limit the potency, people are likely to consume larger amounts to reach the same desired effect. All this accomplishes is to make the…
