Marijuana has definitely evolved over the last couple of years, as the demand for it has significantly increased. Furthermore, millions of Dollars are being poured into the industry in the form of research, to determine how Marijuana can help cure different illnesses and conditions.

Cannabis activists are pushing for legalization hoping that the plants curing properties will eventually be available to everyone, while those that oppose continue to claim that it poses harmful components which as still not yet fully understood.

Irrespective to everyone’s thoughts, the industry is without a doubt moving forward. Thousands of dispensaries have opened up across the U.S and the black market is reaching new highs, especially in states where marijuana is still illegal according to state laws.

The rise in demand has also caused the plant to evolve as sellers try to meet ongoing requests to increase potency. Recent research has shown that weed back in the 70s contained around 1% of THC levels, while now it averages around 10%. Some strains are even more, and specific rare strains that are developed in modern-day labs can reach even 80%.

Did you know that 18 joints back in 1975 are equivalent to 1 joint today?

Is High Potency a Bad Thing?

Well, it’s definitely not good, but then again it depends on the levels of THC. According to a recent study from King’s College London, smoking skunk, which is classed by the Brits as high-THC cannabis strain, high-potency pot is linked to changes in the white matter connections between the two hemispheres of the brain. This means that there is less efficient communication between brain cells, which itself can be linked to cognitive problems.

“We found that frequent use of high potency cannabis significantly affects the structure of white matter fibres in the brain, whether you have psychosis or not,” said author Paola Dazzan.

Other researchers are still not so conclusive with their findings and are still researching the topic. According to Lewis Nelson, Professor and Vice Chari for Academic Affairs at NYU’s Department of Emergency Medicine and Director, of Medical Toxicology Fellowship at the New York City Poison Control Center, “Although the rise in the concentration of THC is not a concern per se, the variability makes it more difficult to titrate the dose to the correct effect.”

Related Article: 5 Hacks to Increase THC When Growing Weed

So if I Smoke Strains That Contain 10% THC I should be Fine, Right?

Obviously, no one is going to go and smoke on a daily basis strains like SunRocks, which contains 80% THC. The problem is that there currently isn’t much regulation that is monitoring what is really put into your buds. Do you really know what the buds on your shelves contain? Today, you’ll see marijuana buds that look beautiful, but when labs run them through stringent testing, they find that they are contaminated with biological and chemical varieties. Anything from microbes to solvents, or even worse fungi.

What to Look Out For?

Unless you put on a white coat in the morning and head out to some marijuana lab, you’ll probably not going to tell the difference between the good and the bad. Sure, the good smells good, and the bad will probably smell like dusty old hay but are there more things to look out for.

Here are the major things to look for:

Good weed will smell amazing. There is no way to put it; good weed simply smells like pure goodness. Depending on the strain, you might get some hints of lemon, grapefruit or orange. You won’t notice any off-scents, nothing moldy or grassy.

Good weed also looks amazing. It should be covered in crystals containing THC. That’s the stuff that gives you the high euphoric effect. This is the most important thing in regards to potency, so make sure you look out for those sparkling jewels.

It should feel moist and have a sticky texture. Bad weed will feel dry and crumble in your hands

It should look like nature. Green is the preferred color but other colors are acceptable. Brown weed is definitely a big NO.

Don’t buy real leafy weed. Normally if you buy real leafy weed, it means that it is just a lot of fluff. It usually won’t break down well.

Related Article: How to Make Your Weed Smell Irresistible!

Unfortunately, sometimes you simply won’t know until you smoke it.

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