Teens indulging stronger marijuana.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Tetrahydrocannabinol - Brief article

The levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)--the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana--have reached the highest-ever amounts since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s, according to the latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project (PMP). The results were released by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Washington, D.C. The latest data on marijuana samples indicates that the average amount of THC in seized stashes has reached a new high of 9.6%. It was just under four percent in 1983.

As of a few months ago, PMP had analyzed 62,797 cannabis, 1,302 hashish, and 486 hash oil samples confiscated in 48 states by law enforcement agencies since 1975. The highest concentration of THC found in a single marijuana sample during this period was 37.2%. "Baby boomer parents who still think marijuana is a harmless substance need to look at the facts," stresses John Waiters, Pres. George...