America has long argued over marijuana. That argument is far older than most people realise. Long before Mexico banned the sale of the drug in the 1920s, communities were already raising concerns. The United States taxed its sale and possession in 1937. Even then, people on both sides of the border worried about how recreational use was harming individuals and society.

In the 1970s, the federal government classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug. This happened under the newly created Controlled Substances Act. Around the same time, a tobacco giant quietly studied the toxicity of inhaled marijuana. The study was done on behalf of the Department of Justice. The public never knew. That arrangement only came to light decades later, during major tobacco litigation in the late 1990s.

Then, in 2012, the political landscape shifted. A small number of states had begun testing legalisation. The Obama administration chose not to enforce federal law against them. This effectively opened the door to mass commercial expansion. More recently, the rescheduling of high potency marijuana for therapeutic purposes has added further confusion. Today, half of all US states permit recreational sales. A majority allow therapeutic use, even though federal law still technically prohibits it.

This Is Not the Plant of the Past

Here is where the story gets genuinely alarming. In 1969, marijuana plants averaged just one to two per cent THC. THC is the chemical compound responsible for intoxication. Today, that average sits at roughly twenty two per cent. Specialty strains regularly exceed thirty five per cent. Some concentrated products now approach ninety nine per cent THC.

None of this happened naturally. Growers have reshaped the plant through selective breeding. They have also used chemical mutagenesis and induced genetic mutation. Each method aims squarely at boosting potency. As a result, today’s high THC cannabis shares little beyond a name with the plant smoked in the 1960s.

An Industry Built on Escalation

Potency does not climb this steeply without serious money behind it. That money is anything but subtle. In 2024, the American marijuana industry was valued at 38.5 billion dollars. Major players from tobacco, pharmaceutical and alcohol sectors have fuelled that growth. This is not a grassroots movement. It follows the same well worn playbook used by industrial giants for generations. Find a product with addictive potential. Market it relentlessly. Secure a loyal customer base early. Then manage the science until the public eventually catches up.

Meanwhile, state legislatures have positioned themselves as willing middlemen. They greenlight recreational sales of high potency marijuana. At the same time, they tax the very addiction they help create.

Legalisation Has Rewritten What Normal Means

As legalisation spreads from state to state, it carries an unproven message along with it. That message is simple: marijuana is safe. Dispensaries now outnumber some fast food chains in parts of the country. Certain communities have visibly changed under the weight of such widespread availability.

This shift in perception has coincided with a sharp rise in addiction. Public health systems now face mounting pressure. According to the 2025 National Drug Survey, 20.6 million Americans over the age of twelve live with a cannabis use disorder. Convincing enough people that a substance carries no real risk has always been the first step toward normalising its use. This happens regardless of what the evidence actually shows.

Harming Future Generations

The human brain does not fully mature until the mid twenties. High THC cannabis disrupts that development in ways that can last a lifetime. Teenagers who begin using before age eighteen face significantly higher risks. Their odds of experiencing depression in adulthood rise by thirty seven to seventy per cent. Daily use raises anxiety risk too. By age twenty nine, that risk climbs to two and a half to three times higher.

A 2020 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found something troubling. Users of today’s high potency products face a ninety two per cent higher risk of anxiety disorders. Indeed, these high potency products now dominate nearly the entire market. Perhaps most troubling of all is cannabis induced psychosis. It converts into schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in roughly half of all cases. This often happens within just a few years. These figures barely scratch the surface of the harm being done. Young people who will one day lead the next generation are the ones paying the price.

Families Caught in the Middle

Today’s teenagers are far more convinced that marijuana is harmless. This belief is stronger than it was a generation ago. National survey data shows something striking. Roughly seventy nine per cent of eighth graders see no risk whatsoever in trying it. This is despite mounting evidence of serious physical and mental health consequences. Indeed, the risks are particularly high for anyone under twenty five.

That figure tracks closely with a long decline in federal funding for drug prevention education. The slide began around the time of the first Gulf War in 1991. Funding has never fully recovered since. Cultural normalisation, paired with legalisation, has quietly built a false narrative. That narrative suggests high potency marijuana poses little to no risk at all.

The Way Forward

A self inflicted public health crisis is unfolding. Society has not yet hit rock bottom. Solving it will take more than state legislation or coherent federal policy. It will require sustained effort from parents, teachers and health professionals. All of them must work together to educate the next generation. This needs to happen before industry marketing reaches young people first.

Moving forward means taking a clear eyed, honest look at the facts. These facts surround marijuana and its legalisation. The people best placed to protect young people are those closest to them. Parents and educators must be willing to explain things plainly and early. They need to explain exactly what today’s high potency marijuana can do. The conversation needs to start now. Otherwise, another generation will inherit the consequences.

“The Blunt Truth: Ten Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Marijuana” is written by Sue Homola and Dr Raymond Wiggins.

Source: washingtonstand