# Is pot stronger these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552 "2007-01-26T14:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/21 "2007-01-26T21:31:11Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] I wonder about that too. The sinsemilla we had in the late 1970s enough to get you high from a coupld of tokes; how much stronger is it possible for pot to be? It’s dried leaves, not the product of laboratory refining. [/QUOTE] Thats not entirely accurate…now-a-days it _ **IS** _ the product of laboratory refining. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/22 "2007-01-26T22:28:45Z")
I’m also of the opinion that it isn’t that weed is stronger today, it’s just much easier to find stronger weed. People were doing cloning and selective breeding back in the 60’s and 70’s it just wasn’t as widespread. I’m almost positive that if you had gone to someplace like Amsterdam back in the 70’s you would have had no problem finding the kind of primo shit that will get you high in one hit. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/23 "2007-01-26T22:34:46Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] I wonder about that too. The sinsemilla we had in the late 1970s enough to get you high from a coupld of tokes; how much stronger is it possible for pot to be? It’s dried leaves, not the product of laboratory refining. [/QUOTE] God, where did those those missing words go? WAS STRONG enough to get you high from a couple of tokes… ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/24 "2007-01-26T22:40:32Z")
In Sydney in the 80s, it seemed to be all “leaf and tip”, sometimes with a bit of head thrown in. Not partaking these days, but as of about four years ago, you couldn’t find leaf and tip if you wanted to. No more selling bags of parsley to thirteen year-olds - now it’s all solid, heavy, and sticky, and stinks out the room just opening the baggie. One thing that’s always amused me was in the 90s (and maybe even now) when the British would complain about how all they could get over there was hash, and it was great to come here for some decent South Australian green, or “Hydro Majestic” (named after a 1920s-style [no really] mountain resort). To Australian smokers, hash was (and possibly still is) a luxury that was quite hard to find. There’d be an occasional run of it, then none to be had for a year or more. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/25 "2007-01-27T03:11:34Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] God, where did those those missing words go? WAS STRONG enough to get you high from a couple of tokes… [/QUOTE] See? Those commercials were right. ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2007, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/26 "2007-01-27T09:41:38Z")
We had a thread on this in GQ a few weeks ago: > **[Is skunk really stronger than normal dope ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402111)** > > Please mod-zap this if it is not appropriate. I have read in the papers that skunk is far stronger than normal dope, when I mentioned this to my brother he derided it and said it is the same stuff but hydroponically grown in artificial light. The... The general consensus seemed to be that it is stronger. ---
**Author:** ![vinniepaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vinniepaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vinniepaz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/27 "2007-02-04T21:31:43Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Nowadays, a 1/4 will last four friends for a month or more. [/QUOTE] I don’t buy it. I have it on good authority (ahem..) that a half oz will last 4 average high school kids about two weeks. If 4 people are stretching a quarter over a month, they’re not smoking much. As for people wondering about what kind of weed high school kids have access to, I have heard rumors (ahem..) that purple haze (which is actually purple in color), northern lights, and other cool but made up names are readily available to anyone who wants them. You can get dirt too if you want it. ---
**Author:** ![OldLobsterClaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb9ed0/32.png) [@OldLobsterClaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldLobsterClaw)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/28 "2012-03-23T23:53:28Z")
Yep, it’s stronger - in general. 'Though I rember the old classics, particularly Panama Red and Thai stick, as being right up there. The question is, so what? I know there’s been a lot of hype about the dangers of the new strains (typically referred to as “skunk” or “dro,” showing the gross lack of knowledge possessed by the panic-mongers). The hype about it being “more toxic” or “a whole new drug” or “more addictive” has absolutely no basis in fact. The fact is that pot is about as close to non-toxic as anything can be. It is absolutely, unequivocally impossible to overdose. Nobody’s ever died from being stoned. Ever. Can someone get a lot higher than they expected or wanted to? Sure. But it goes away in a little while. No harm done, other than some temporary discomfot and maybe an “oh shit!” moment.:eek: As a matter of fact, stronger pot is safer pot. You smoke less to get the desired effect. Although there’s plenty of research indicating that there’s no cancer connection, and limited lung dysfunction from smoking pot, it’s still good to limit the non-psychoactive combustion products. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/29 "2012-03-24T00:01:41Z")
Stronger now in 2012 than in 2007, even??? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/30 "2012-03-24T00:05:38Z")
> [@OldLobsterClaw](#): > > Yep, it’s stronger - in general. 'Though I rember the old classics, particularly Panama Red and Thai stick, as being right up there. > > The question is, so what? So, with nothing but intensely mind-bending buds, you lose the sublime pleasure of leisurely smoking a fat, hand rolled doobie at lunch and still being able to work all afternoon. Getting totally baked every time gets old. ---
**Author:** ![OldLobsterClaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb9ed0/32.png) [@OldLobsterClaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldLobsterClaw)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/31 "2012-03-24T00:57:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So, with nothing but intensely mind-bending buds, you lose the sublime pleasure of leisurely smoking a fat, hand rolled doobie at lunch and still being able to work all afternoon. Getting totally baked every time gets old. Oh, there’s plenty of mellow weed too. Schwag is schwag and it’ll always be around! The good stuff’s for coffee break when you don’t have much time.😛 ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/32 "2012-03-24T01:05:06Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > So, even assuming we buy Their nonexistent data on higher THC content by percent of leaf weight, I highly suspect that the actual THC \*consumption \*is, on average, about the same. More importantly, I suspect that They don’t care about such fiddling details. Yes, that’s what’s really going on. Pot has a natural satiety point at which you just don’t want anymore. People used to reach that at 2 joints and stop smoking, now they hit it at a half joint and stop smoking. Now it could be that people are reaching satiety more frequently because it involves less smoking… but people aren’t reaching new heights of inebriation that have never been reached before. People aren’t getting stoneder than anybody ever thought possible. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/33 "2012-03-24T01:59:43Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > In Sydney in the 80s, it seemed to be all “leaf and tip”, sometimes with a bit of head thrown in. Not partaking these days, but as of about four years ago, you couldn’t find leaf and tip if you wanted to. No more selling bags of parsley to thirteen year-olds - now it’s all solid, heavy, and sticky, and stinks out the room just opening the baggie. > > One thing that’s always amused me was in the 90s (and maybe even now) when the British would complain about how all they could get over there was hash, and it was great to come here for some decent South Australian green, or “Hydro Majestic” (named after a 1920s-style [no really] mountain resort). To Australian smokers, hash was (and possibly still is) a luxury that was quite hard to find. There’d be an occasional run of it, then none to be had for a year or more. Hashish was a bit uncommon in southern California as well in the late 60’s early 70’s, but it was really a treat when _hash oil_ would show up. Wonder if its still “in use”? ---
**Author:** ![Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/13edae/32.png) [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interconnected_Series_of_Tubes)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/34 "2012-03-24T22:45:05Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Hashish was a bit uncommon in southern California as well in the late 60’s early 70’s, but it was really a treat when _hash oil_ would show up. Wonder if its still “in use”? Hash oil tends to be available from people for whom a quarter would most assuredly _not_ last a month. Really good, pure, golden oil is still a rarity - hash (or at least pressed keif, which often goes by the same name) is fairly common 'round these parts. Also, as most growers are unlikely to have any idea of the quantitative levels of yum-yum chemicals in their crop, I would WAG that the majority of breeding pressure is towards readily-noticable characteristics like bud structure, size, aroma and trichome coverage. TCH levels are probably increasing just because we’re growing _better_ weed in every sense of the word, rather than specifically trying to make it more potent. ---
**Author:** ![OldLobsterClaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb9ed0/32.png) [@OldLobsterClaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldLobsterClaw)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/35 "2012-03-26T16:46:26Z")
> [@Cosmic Relief](#): > > Yes, that’s what’s really going on. Pot has a natural satiety point at which you just don’t want anymore. People used to reach that at 2 joints and stop smoking, now they hit it at a half joint and stop smoking. > > Now it could be that people are reaching satiety more frequently because it involves less smoking… but people aren’t reaching new heights of inebriation that have never been reached before. People aren’t getting stoneder than anybody ever thought possible. Exactly right. It’s a well known fact that an experienced toker will titrate the dosage for the desired stone. Even if they inadvertently reach a holy shit level from some real fire, it’s no biggie. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552/36 "2012-04-20T12:55:49Z")
Congratulations, **Dinsdale** – your OP attracted Cecil’s notice, and your question is now the lead-in to today’s column: [Is marijuana stronger than it used to be? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3047/is-marijuana-stronger-than-it-used-to-be) Note for others desiring to post: this is a somewhat old thread (started in Jan '07 and revived in Mar '12) Thus, I’m closing this thread and suggesting folks respond here: [Is marijuana stronger now? - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=649040) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pot-stronger-these-days/389552.md?page=1)