The battle to legalize medical marijuana in the United States has been a slow, uphill one. Many people would say that it has not been without its ups and downs. However, if we take a moment to reflect on the progress that has been made in our country regarding cannabis legalization and acceptance, we have come a long way in the course of a decade or so.
Pretty much every state now, with the exception of a couple that shall remain nameless, have constructed some sort of medical marijuana program that gives patients with certain conditions the option to use legalized marijuana products. Of course, the fight for cannabis never ends. Many states that do have medical marijuana programs are still extremely restrictive with what types of products are allowed to be used, where they can be bought, and so forth. One of the many problems that are beginning to occur in various states is the potency of cannabis concentrates.
After a state legalizes medical marijuana, the next step is to determine what type of products are allowed to be used, and the potency that they can have. Concentrates, for example, are basically just THC extracts that can be inhaled through a vape pen or such product. As the name suggests, these products are highly concentrated THC and are very potent. This means that marijuana patients only need to take one or two hits before they begin to feel its effects. But can this be a problem if not used properly? Well, that is the question that fuels the fire for banning high potency cannabis.
You see, research suggests that there are safety concerns with using highly potent cannabis concentrates over a long period of time - and that is true. Concentrates are more potent with THC than any product ever has been before. Some products can even contain up to 65% or 80% THC - that is a lot! So there are some serious concerns among legislatures in several states that are looking to cap the potency allowed for marijuana concentrate products.
While it is always a good idea to be cautious about how much THC one is ingesting at any given time, concentrates do offer great benefits to medical marijuana users. Firstly, using a vape or pen is more discreet and portable, and overall less complicated than trying to roll and smoke a joint, for example. Plus, for the medical marijuana patients that are dealing with severe chronic pain, high levels of THC in concentrated doses make the most sense in order to manage their symptoms. At any rate, this issue is up for debate in a lot of states.
Washington, for example, which is renowned for being one of the most cannabis welcoming states, has introduced Bills to cap cannabis concentrates for sale at medical and adult-use dispensaries at 10% THC. People in opposition of this Bill feel that it is too low - 10% THC does not offer medical users the proper treatment that one seeks out marijuana usage for. Arizona has seen similar Bills attempt to cap all medical cannabis, including concentrates, flower, and tinctures, at a maximum of 2% THC. This is almost a slap in the face for anyone that actually uses marijuana. With 2% THC, you might as well not even be using marijuana anymore.
In any case, I think it is important to find a balance when it comes to using cannabis concentrates. I do not recommend using highly potent THC unless you absolutely have to for a medical condition. If you are someone using cannabis concentrate with 80% THC, you may need to rethink some things about your life.
