Marijuana's potency increasing rapidly, along with its demand

The potency of marijuana has reached a new level, and officials are saying profit may be the motivator.

Based on a study conducted by the University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project, marijuana potency has increased tremendously since 1978. The research proved that THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana, has reached 9.6 percent potency as 2007. In 2006, it was 8.77 percent.

But the current potency has doubled since 1996 when it was 4.5 percent. The study ended in March and included 62,797 cannabis, 468 hash oil and 1,302 hashish samples.

Curtis Burns, director of the Colbert County Drug Task Force, said he agrees that desire for bigger profits may be the driving force behind increased THC

levels.

"There's a lot of money to be made in marijuana," he said.

Burns said marijuana in Colbert County sells for about $100 per ounce and $1,000 per pound. In certain cases, a brick, which is 10 pounds of marijuana, can be sold for $800. He said in more rural places in the county, dealers grow marijuana indoors with the assistance of grow lights that can be easily found at a hardware or discount store.

"I definitely know there are a lot of people who are growing it, and we don't see it," Burns said.

He said officials have seized more than 50 marijuana plants within the past month and several pounds in the past year. Just a few months ago, 85 pounds of marijuana was seized in Lawrence County. When larger busts like these occur, drug dealers drive the price up because of the increased risk of getting caught.

"Certain times of the year, it's harder to get," Burns said. "A constant user would definitely want marijuana with more THC in it."

Burns said marijuana is commonly shipped from Mexico to larger cities in Texas and Atlanta, where is it distributed.

"I definitely see the usage has increased," he said. "The amount we've seen from Mexico is unbelievable."

DEA spokesman Garrison Courtney agrees that the demand to get high and the desire to make larger profits are driving potency levels.

"You're not dealing with people who are just trying to get people high," he said. "You can charge more when you have a higher THC count."

Courtney said more cartels from Mexico are smuggling the drug into the U.S. to gain a profit and to build a better market base.

"It's a cash-based business," he said.

Courtney said cartels are using more convoluted methods to "genetically modify" the marijuana and increase the potency because of the demand.

"When you do that, it has to be in a controlled environment," Courtney said.

He said more outdoor "grow houses" are going up in larger areas such as California and Arizona to manipulate the growth of marijuana.

While marijuana has a small, natural amount of the psychoactive drug, Courtney said producers chemically adulterate the leaves with THC.

"You still have a pretty good product line to grow from," Courtney said.

Methods such as crossbreeding different strands of a high-yield cannabis plant, from which marijuana is derived, can increase the THC level.

Sinsemilla, which is Spanish for "without seed," comes from the unpollinated female plant and is preferred for its high THC content.

Courtney said that through the years, marijuana has had a subtle reputation as far as potency was concerned. Many regarded marijuana smoking as harmless and recreational. But now, Courtney said, the risks have been heightened.

"It's more dangerous in terms of the high," he said. "The control factor is much larger than what it used to be."

Robert Thornhill is a primary counselor at Bradford Health Services in Montgomery and a recovering narcotics addict. He said while the potency is increasing, so are the health risks.

"It significantly reduces short-term memory," he said. "It produces a delusional belief system."

When Thornhill was addicted to marijuana, he said he experienced the psycho-altering effects of the drug and knew it was time for a change.

"Most marijuana addicts believe they work better or think better," he said. "It's kind of the nature of addiction."

Other than mental effects, marijuana increases the heart rate and puts the heart at risk of diseases and can cause emphysema, chronic bronchitis and lung, mouth and throat cancer, in addition the drug impairs motor skills.

"It's like paying good money to get sick," Thornhill said.

Shelbia Brown can be reached at 740-5733 or shelbia.brown@TimesDaily.com.