Many people believe that the marijuana being used for recreational use is genetically modified to have tons of THC. Old studies are used as a defense, but they lack any real genetic evidence. Because of this lack of evidence, people are wondering where GMO weed is going! Research has been watching data about the potency of marijuana for about four decades. In the 60’s, THC potency was at 5% and over 15% in foreign countries. Cheap weed went at the price of about $20 for an ounce and had a pretty average high. However, at the time, foreign weed would leave you high for the entire day.
Research at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Mississippi attributes the increase in THC potency to increasing amounts of more powerful foreign cannabis from places like Mexico and Columbia. Soldiers and tourists bring back weed from all different types of places and really spread it. Marijuana grows all over the world, but only certain climates can produce high THC. All pot plants make cannabinoids, but only the ones native to the equator or high altitudes have evolved to make almost all THC.
In modern times, though, 15% THC is actually considered low. 18-20% is the norm for medical grade, high-potency cannabis. Many wonder if this is due to genetic engineering, or just evolution of the plant. CJ Schwartz, who has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and is an expert in cannabis genetics, had this to say: “I truly don’t think there is any GMO cannabis out there.” Then the question remains, why has THC increased so much? And here’s the answer:
“So if you have a GMO plant you could introduce multiple copies of THC-synthase to produce more THC, but then there’s also ways that nature will do that by itself through gene duplication… So the plant that, by chance, had a duplication of THC-synthase is selected or favored and that’s carried on while the rest die away,” explains Schwartz.
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