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REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HIGH POTENCY CANNABIS THINK TANK TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Allen, J. A., Benowitz, N., Bluthenthal, R. N., Carlini, B. H., Cooper, Z., Fong, T., Halpern-Felsher, B., Johnson, R. M., Ling, P. M., Pacula, R., Piomelli, D., Silver, L. D., & Young-Wolff, K. (2024). REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HIGH POTENCY CANNABIS THINK TANK TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. California Department of Public Health .
Prepared by an independent scientific committee convened by the California Department of Public Health
Cannabis “potency” is colloquially used to refer to the concentration (%) or dose (mg) of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) present in cannabis or cannabis products.1 The potency of legal herbal cannabis (flower) sold in California today is now five to ten-fold the level found nationally in cannabis studied in the 1970s and 80s. Today, most flower and flower products sold by legal California retailers tests at 20% to 24% THC or greater. A wide range of manufactured solid and liquid chemical extract products of up to 99% THC are now sold as vaping liquids, shatter, waxes, or other concentrates or are used in edibles. THC is the primary psychoactive and intoxicating constituent of the cannabis plant. It is the main reason people turn to cannabis for pleasure and to seek relief of certain ills, and yet also the component most associated with adverse effects.
We urge the State of California, including its cannabis regulatory agency, state legislature, public health agency, and taxation authorities to work together to immediately implement as many of these policies as possible.
