Marijuana and other products containing THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient, have grown more potent and more dangerous as legalization has made them more widely available.
While THC levels in marijuana were less than 1.5% decades ago, today some products are over 90% THC.
The old buzz has been replaced by something much more alarming. Federal research shows that marijuana-related medical problems have sent hundreds of thousands to the hospital, and millions of people suffer from psychological disorders associated with cannabis use.
The regulators are not keeping up with the pace.
There are few consumer protections in states that allow marijuana and derivatives to be sold and used.
“In many states the products come with a warning label and potentially no other activity by regulators,” said Cassin Coleman, vice chair of the scientific advisory committee of the National Cannabis Industry Association.
The federal government generally has a hands-off attitude. It still bans marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance — as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high chance of abuse — under the Controlled Substances Act. When it comes to cannabis…
