States that legalized marijuana a decade ago are now studying the public health implications of a variety of high-potency cannabis products after doctors and medical researchers reported possible links to psychosis. Oregon and Washington State, which pioneered cannabis reform, are now looking into the potential dangers of marijuana concentrates and considering placing limits on levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Such products can have THC levels of up to 90 percent compared to about 5 percent 20 years ago. Emergency room doctors in Colorado prompted the state to study such products, after finding that they were seeing increasing cases of psychosis connected to marijuana concentrates, which led to a bill to curb access to powerful pot products. Researchers in Washington concluded that the more THC consumed, the worse the negative effects, especially among young people, who are particularly vulnerable to addiction. To be sure, the cannabis industry is pushing back against efforts to curtail concentrates, saying the products are popular with consumers and falsely claiming there’s no evidence to suggest widespread risk from THC. It would have been more prudent to consider the dangers of high-potency pot before legalization, but it’s not too late for state legislatures to act to impose THC caps to protect public health and vulnerable populations.
Meanwhile, major food companies are warning the public about the rise of so-called copycat edibles that look like “real” food products but actually contain cannabis and incidental amounts of THC. The Consumer Brands Association says that while marijuana may be legal in some states, the misuse of these famous rands has created serious health and safety risks for consumers, particularly, children, who cannot tell the difference between these brands’ true products and copycat THC products “that leverage the brand’s fame for profit.” A recent study by New York University found that policies to prevent cannabis packaging from appealing to children haven’t stopped such products from entering the market.
And finally, the CDC features marijuana use disorder as its “disease or health condition of the week,” warning consumers about the dangers of cannabis. It says that approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have the disorder, meaning that they are unable to stop using marijuana even though it is causing health and or social problems in their lives. Those risks include stroke, heart disease, other vascular diseases, and psychosis.