'Potent Pot Myth': Do Higher Doses of THC get you Higher?

Do some types of marijuana get you 'higher' than others? According to researchers from The Netherlands, you might be in for a bit of a trip, that is, if you've got your hands on some really potent cannabis.

For the past decade, researcher note that the original idea was that higher strengths of cannabis could often lead to higher doses of THC--potentially posing a greater risk of certain unwanted effects, including dependency, in extreme cases. It was also previously argued that smokers of stronger cannabis were more likely to inhale less and even roll weaker joints in order to properly compensate for the harshness of the drug. Furthermore, previous findings had even suggested that 'super pot,' as the study authors referred to it, is healthier for cannabis users due to the desired high while inhaling less lung-harming smoke.

But when it comes to safety, researchers were uncertain if varying cannabis levels would make a difference in the amount used and inhaled. 

For the study, Dutch scientists observed 98 experienced cannabis smokers and monitored how they rolled and smoke joints of various cannabis samples with varying concentrations. While those with allegedly stronger joints were more likely to inhale less in an attempt to titrate the amount of THC taken into the body, researchers found that these efforts were only partially successful and compensated for only about half of the THC strength.

In conclusion, though smokers may attempt to alter their smoking behaviors in order to compensate for higher potency levels, findings show that these alterations aren't typically enough to make a difference.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Addiction.