Drug Czar Says Pot Potency has Doubled in Twenty Years

ONDCP report shows THC content in marijuana has increased significantly since the mid 1980's.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2007 -- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released the latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project. The recent report showed that the current levels of THC have reached the highest-ever since the analysis began in the late 1970's. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

The average amount of THC in seized marijuana samples has reached 8.5 percent. This compares to an average of less than 4 percent reported in 1983. The University of Mississippi has analyzed and compiled data on nearly 60,000 cannabis samples since 1975. The highest concentration of THC found in a marijuana sample during this period was 32.3 percent.

ONDCP Director John Walters said, "This new report serves as a wake-up call for parents who may still hold outdated notions about the harms of marijuana…Parents need to start having critical conversations with their children about this drug."

Walters also mentioned that the higher THC levels translate into serious health problems for teens and cited that more than half of teens receiving drug treatment reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse. It was also stated that despite an overall decline in marijuana use among teens, there have been more mentions of marijuana in emergency room visits than ever before.

Many experts agree that the key to preventing marijuana use among teens also includes effective drug education in the schools.

According to Bobby Wiggins, Director of Drug Education at Narconon International, "We've found that if you give kids all of the correct information about drugs like marijuana in a way in which they can fully comprehend it, then they are much less likely to use those drugs."

As one of the largest international groups of drug rehabilitation and education programs, Narconon literally means "narcotics-none" and uses a very successful drug-free approach based on research and developments of American author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard.

Mr. Wiggins has given live drug education presentations to nearly 1 million students around the world and is featured in the Friends of Narconon video "Marijuana: The Myth". As part of a full drug prevention curriculum used in thousands of schools across the country, the Narconon message has demonstrated its positive effect on students and their decision not to use drugs or alcohol.

For more information contact Narconon International by calling 323-962-2404 or visit www.narconon.org.

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