For all the acceptance Marijuana has gained in recent years, toking could become passé as vaping and edibles have become the primary choice among potheads. The reason is attributed to increased tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, its psychoactive component, which in concentrates can be as high as 90 percent. With this, concentrates have been dubbed the future of the cannabis industry.
Potency used to be around 10 percent or less, but its been bred upwards over the years presumably because the market has demanded it. Smoking has made way for edibles and vaping as the preferred dosing methods, making oils more valuable commodities than the flowers they’re derived from.
It’s considered an improvement, given THC distillates were nearly impossible to find a decade ago. These days, marijuana concentrates are the mainstay of the commercial industry. In an interview with Engadget, Michael Kay, co-founder and executive director at Bloom Farms, a San Francisco medical cannabis company, said: "Today we see concentrates are used in probably 95 percent of the branded products."
Not your dad’s weed
The main finding of recent analyses was that potency has risen by a factor of three in the last few decades. "We've seen potency values close to 30 percent THC, which is huge,” said researcher Andy LaFrate of Charas Scientific, a Colorado-based lab certified to do potency testing.
There’s still a lack of normalization among marijuana sales, but testings have proven where the market is now and where it needs to go.
However, the quest to find stronger oils may not necessarily bring death to flower products and cannabis with lower-strength concentrates. There are still people who prefer lower-potency products.
Edibles are typically prepared with concentrated marijuana oil or butter, and to enjoy them, users are advised to consume them slowly. As for the use of Vape pens, it offers an easy and discreet way of consuming weed that smoking does not.
Mary Jane: more popular than ever
Despite the cannabis industry’s hurdle with the law, the legal marijuana industry generated $6.9 billion in sales in North America last year, according to cannabis research firm ArcView.
This fact demonstrates just how far the pendulum has swung in recent years.
Marijuana usage is further emphasized based on the results of a study conducted by Marist and Yahoo News, which shows 83 percent of more than 1,100 people support the legalization of marijuana. Furthermore, 76 percent of the public see regular tobacco use as more hazardous when compared with smoking pot.
As people continue to accept marijuana use and the quest for higher THC, we could very well see more marijuana stocks turning the corner.
