13 ms·

It slightly bothers me that people regularly claim the marijuana of the 1970's was so much weaker than today, for example the statement that the cannabis of the

by borkt 6y ago

It slightly bothers me that people regularly claim the marijuana of the 1970's was so much weaker than today, for example the statement that the cannabis of the 70s was no stronger than todays hemp. In my neck of the woods there has always been stuff that is basically as good as it is today. Keep in mind hash has existed at least 1000 years, and cannabis has been cultivated for millenia. Sure, there was copious amounts of low quality mexican weed in the 1970s, but there were people growing the good stuff as well, albeit with lower yields and much longer flowering times. I've grown out some afghani seeds collected in the early 80s from the soviet army and despite the extremely long flowering time it is unbelievably potent and aromatic. Its a much more skunky, acrid aroma than the designer fruity strains of today, but the THC is there.

GuiA 6y ago
It’s a well debunked meme, see this thread https://twitter.com/danalarsen/status/1167941723969900544 https://twitter.com/danalarsen/status/1167941723969900544
- TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
  Ha! That’s great. Reminds of how there’s always that one person in any group who says something like: “You reckon that’s good? You should try my cousins shit”, or some variant. Or how every 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 year old / dead drug users will say “it’s not like it was back in my day”.
- JamesBarney 6y ago
  This makes a compelling argument that government agencies aren't telling the truth about the degree of increased cannabis potency. It in no way debunks that there was an increase in cannabis potency. Even in just the last 20 years(when we have much better data) there has been a large increase in potency.
cannaceo 6y ago
Popular strains from even 8 years ago like Master Kush are no longer sellable because their max potency is 20-21%. Afghani falls in the same category of 16-20% THC. Brick weed tests closer to 4-7% THC. Many retailers I sell to won’t accept any indoor under 20% and the flower testing >26% sells out fast. We are currently working to retire any sub-25% strain because today’s consumer buys on potency. Most recently I sold out of a 31% THC potency GG4. Phinest Cannabis is releasing a strain called ‘Fatso’ that they’ve had test at 39% total THC. I don’t think we’re at the end of the line yet.
- roel_v 6y ago
  "because today’s consumer buys on potency." Why is that? Is it cheaper? Would you be able to supply less potent product cheaper (maybe shorter growing times or less work or other reason)? I know nothing about this field but I find some of the comments here fascinating.
  - qplex 6y ago
    While raw cannabis has some % of THC and CDB (among other compounds) it is the processed stuff like hashish or oils that really hold the crown for potency. This stuff has been around for a long time, much longer than the westernized commercial strains.
  - Stratoscope 6y ago
    I like a stronger strain because I can use less of it. My PAX 3 vaporizer has two different covers for the oven, one that works with .15-.2 grams of flower, the other with .3 grams or more. With a more potent product, I can use the first cover and get the same effect with much less vegetable material.
  - Talanes 6y ago
    I can only speak to this from the consumer perspective, so I can't actually say why any of these trends are true, but... 1. Any correlation between price and potency is very weak; any price point will have a wide range of potency within it. 2. Products rotate constantly, so consumers are facing a new set of choices with every purchase. 3. Modern packaging removes the tactile element from selecting your flowers. some places still keep sample cups so you can smell the strain, but most people are evaluating based on the information on the label now. If you don't have a deep knowledge of weed strains, the potency is the easiest thing to compare.
    - petre 6y ago
      I don't buy tea based on label, have to at least see its texture and sniff it. The nice thing about tea is that there are classical varieties and blends that one can purchase and they taste more or less the same every time. It would be great if some cannabis businesses would adopt the specialty tea store business model.

by borkt 6y ago

GuiA 6y ago

It’s a well debunked meme, see this thread https://twitter.com/danalarsen/status/1167941723969900544 https://twitter.com/danalarsen/status/1167941723969900544

TheSpiceIsLife 6y ago
Ha! That’s great. Reminds of how there’s always that one person in any group who says something like: “You reckon that’s good? You should try my cousins shit”, or some variant. Or how every 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 year old / dead drug users will say “it’s not like it was back in my day”.
JamesBarney 6y ago
This makes a compelling argument that government agencies aren't telling the truth about the degree of increased cannabis potency. It in no way debunks that there was an increase in cannabis potency. Even in just the last 20 years(when we have much better data) there has been a large increase in potency.

cannaceo 6y ago

Popular strains from even 8 years ago like Master Kush are no longer sellable because their max potency is 20-21%. Afghani falls in the same category of 16-20% THC. Brick weed tests closer to 4-7% THC. Many retailers I sell to won’t accept any indoor under 20% and the flower testing >26% sells out fast. We are currently working to retire any sub-25% strain because today’s consumer buys on potency. Most recently I sold out of a 31% THC potency GG4. Phinest Cannabis is releasing a strain called ‘Fatso’ that they’ve had test at 39% total THC. I don’t think we’re at the end of the line yet.

roel_v 6y ago
"because today’s consumer buys on potency." Why is that? Is it cheaper? Would you be able to supply less potent product cheaper (maybe shorter growing times or less work or other reason)? I know nothing about this field but I find some of the comments here fascinating.
- qplex 6y ago
  While raw cannabis has some % of THC and CDB (among other compounds) it is the processed stuff like hashish or oils that really hold the crown for potency. This stuff has been around for a long time, much longer than the westernized commercial strains.
- Stratoscope 6y ago
  I like a stronger strain because I can use less of it. My PAX 3 vaporizer has two different covers for the oven, one that works with .15-.2 grams of flower, the other with .3 grams or more. With a more potent product, I can use the first cover and get the same effect with much less vegetable material.
- Talanes 6y ago
  I can only speak to this from the consumer perspective, so I can't actually say why any of these trends are true, but... 1. Any correlation between price and potency is very weak; any price point will have a wide range of potency within it. 2. Products rotate constantly, so consumers are facing a new set of choices with every purchase. 3. Modern packaging removes the tactile element from selecting your flowers. some places still keep sample cups so you can smell the strain, but most people are evaluating based on the information on the label now. If you don't have a deep knowledge of weed strains, the potency is the easiest thing to compare.
  - petre 6y ago
    I don't buy tea based on label, have to at least see its texture and sniff it. The nice thing about tea is that there are classical varieties and blends that one can purchase and they taste more or less the same every time. It would be great if some cannabis businesses would adopt the specialty tea store business model.