Those warning about the dangers of so-called “extremely potent cannabis” and calling for these products to be re-criminalized are taking their cues from an age-old strategy.

Since criminal cannabis bans began, advocates of criminalization have tried to rationalize their position by vastly exaggerating the supposed strength of marijuana. In the 1930s, when he was lobbying for the passage of the first-ever federal cannabis ban, Narcotics Commissioner Henry Anslinger told Congress that a century-old marijuana was so powerful that it was “perfectly It is a monstrous hide, and its harmful effects are immense.”

In an attempt to justify the 1980s marijuana crackdown, former Los Angeles Police Chief Darryl F. Gates said advanced cultivation techniques increased the potency of the plant’s main psychoactive component, THC. Feel free to pot… you should take it out and shoot. ”

Years later, at a congressional hearing on strengthening federal drug laws, then-Sen. It’s a thing,’ he said.

In retrospect, it’s clear that each of these previous generation claims was just an exaggeration. Nonetheless, these sensational claims have had a lasting impact on marijuana policy.

The availability of stronger cannabis products is not a new phenomenon.In fact, stronger cannabis products like hashish are always available. will be less. This self-adjusting process is known as self-titration.

Additionally, high-potency THC products do not dominate the state’s legal market. In fact, most consumers tend to prefer and gravitate toward milder potency products rather than concentrates.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t overdose on cannabis products. they can. However, in such cases, consumers typically experience only temporary discomfort (commonly called a panic attack) that wears off within hours. Nonetheless, to discourage overconsumption, most states regulate certain cannabis products, such as edibles, to single-serving sizes.

Ultimately, banning the proposed product will only perpetuate the unregulated market. This is because outlawing these products would force their production and sale to take place entirely underground. This result disrupts and eventually replaces the underground market with transparent, regulated markets where product safety is tested and clearly labeled so that consumers can make informed choices. It undermines the main goal of legalization:

Rather than reintroduce the criminalization of cannabis, regulators and other stakeholders should strive to provide the public with more comprehensive safety information on the effects of more potent products, and legal We must continue to prevent products from being diverted to the youth market. Such actions are ultimately far more productive than calling for a return to the failure of marijuana prohibition.

Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director of the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform. This column was provided by his InsideSources.