Weed may be legal in eight states and national legalization might be becoming increasingly popular (this guy even uses it at work ) but some experts are concerned about the potential long-term impacts of regular marijuana use.

In a new paper published in the Lancet Psychiatry, experts from King’s College London assert that researchers need to focus on making the drug safer for people to use, noting that in the past 40 years, the potency of cannabis has “on average, doubled,” and that more people are seeking treatment for “cannabis use disorders” in the U.S. and Europe.

While the paper does note that it’s unlikely most people will develop weed-related problems, the authors stressed that, “with the rapidly changing political climate around cannabis, the demand to effectively reduce cannabis-related harms has never been greater, and more research is urgently needed to inform policy decisions.”

Some studies have suggested that high concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD) in weed can counteract some of the negative effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), so the King’s College researchers suggest regulating the potency of the drug. (A few countries, such as the Netherlands and Uruguay, have moved to do so already.) However, they also say that more research is needed to fully understand the exact amount of CBD needed to offset the THC, as well as how that might affect cognitive development and the possibility of addiction.

Ultimately, it’s unlikely that marijuana use is going to decrease as legalization increases, so our best bet, the researchers say, is coming up with guidelines — much like we do for alcohol — so that people who do enjoy weed recreationally can do so as safely as possible.

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