The Story:
In Colorado and Washington, which were each among the pioneering states in the legalization of marijuana at the state level, both as a medicine and for adult-recreation use, there is a new level of concern about how potent are some of the products now on the shelves. Some groups believe that this is an important public-health concern warranting legislative action.
Significance:
Marijuana has drawn comparison to two other lawful industries that have been at the center of public health controversies: tobacco and prescription opioids. Representative Lauren Davis, of Washington, said she has given up her efforts to speak to marijuana industry spokespeople about her concerns, because when she tried that, “They were sitting there, doing exactly what Philip Morris did, exactly what Purdue Pharma did — trying to poke holes in science and question the consensus of the scientific community.”
In Pill Form:
Only one state thus far, among the 17 that have legalized recreational use, has introduced THC concentrate caps. That one is Vermont, which has stipulated that flower products can only have 30% THC, and concentrates can only have 60%.
One natural concern of course is that a crackdown will drive the industry back into the black market, returning to all the costs, risks, and abuses that inspired the legalization movement in the first instance.
