Is it just me or are THC levels going DOWN?!

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Hey now, that Acapulco Gold was some damn good smoke back in the day "it still is" and the real Thai sticks were awesome. Then there was the old school Hawaiian that would send you into space. I remember more than one occasion being so stoned that I could hardly function and even remember passing out a couple times in the summer when it was really hot and all baked on some Columbian Gold.

The thing with higher levels of THC is that peoples tolerances go up. People were getting just as high decades ago off of lower THC pot as they are today with higher THC pot. People build up a tolerance to THC so as the THC levels go up so do peoples tolerance levels. I purposely take a break now and again for a week or so from smoking. I've found that I get a much better high with less weed after taking a break. I don't disagree that THC levels are higher today in most cases than they were decades ago. But I don't think people are getting any higher. Because of peoples tolerance to THC they need more to get the same effect. If you stopped smoking for a month and then smoked nothing but say 13% THC after that month of abstinence you would likely get just as high as you do today with 27% THC weed.

bongsmilie
Never passed out from gold bud but, damn stoned.

Back in the day. Everyday smoker. There were a few real head knocking things come through from time to time. Some of the Columbo was seriously good. Panama red and real deal big thai stick's, not those finger thick ones from later on. Man that highland Thai was bomb.... Things were about a zip in weight....

Now a days, I don't burn everyday. Tolerance difference? Sure you bet - IF I smoked everyday! I tell you what. I like this way better! Vary your strains too. I mean if your a daily smoker. Don't smoke the same thing all the time. Change daily....

33% ? Oh yeah, it's out there, and it's real but, it's the total package that makes the buzz. Like shooting for terp profiles.
Got a real high metering GMO. Powerful and fast hitting but, the buzz is rather "mellow" for metering over 30%.
Got a Dosi that simply bends your mind in the mid/high 20's. You can tell it's Indica but, something else is there too!
9lb Bubba the same way for an Indica stone.

Then there is the Sundae Driver. BIG THC count and simply sends your mind out to sea! Think it's the closest I've come to tripping (without dropping a dose) with straight weed.

30% and over is varied in buzz just like those less in THC.... The terp profile is now known to be part of the reason.
Not to mention that when counting THC. All types are added together to give that final count..... D8 turns to D9 as you burn it. So just what does the other shit do? I read all those reports too..

We simply have to remember that THC count is all types, not just the ones that you get off from! How much D8 and D9 are in the mix?

Then you have the personal "perception and interpretation" of just what each person actually feels! I strongly believe that just about no 2 people actually experience the "same" thing while buzzed!
 

macsnax

Well-Known Member
Never passed out from gold bud but, damn stoned.

Back in the day. Everyday smoker. There were a few real head knocking things come through from time to time. Some of the Columbo was seriously good. Panama red and real deal big thai stick's, not those finger thick ones from later on. Man that highland Thai was bomb.... Things were about a zip in weight....

Now a days, I don't burn everyday. Tolerance difference? Sure you bet - IF I smoked everyday! I tell you what. I like this way better! Vary your strains too. I mean if your a daily smoker. Don't smoke the same thing all the time. Change daily....

33% ? Oh yeah, it's out there, and it's real but, it's the total package that makes the buzz. Like shooting for terp profiles.
Got a real high metering GMO. Powerful and fast hitting but, the buzz is rather "mellow" for metering over 30%.
Got a Dosi that simply bends your mind in the mid/high 20's. You can tell it's Indica but, something else is there too!
9lb Bubba the same way for an Indica stone.

Then there is the Sundae Driver. BIG THC count and simply sends your mind out to sea! Think it's the closest I've come to tripping (without dropping a dose) with straight weed.

30% and over is varied in buzz just like those less in THC.... The terp profile is now known to be part of the reason.
Not to mention that when counting THC. All types are added together to give that final count..... D8 turns to D9 as you burn it. So just what does the other shit do? I read all those reports too..

We simply have to remember that THC count is all types, not just the ones that you get off from! How much D8 and D9 are in the mix?

Then you have the personal "perception and interpretation" of just what each person actually feels! I strongly believe that just about no 2 people actually experience the "same" thing while buzzed!
I agree that people feel it different. I even have the same strains treat me different from time to time.
 

tstick

Well-Known Member
Hey now, that Acapulco Gold was some damn good smoke back in the day "it still is" and the real Thai sticks were awesome. Then there was the old school Hawaiian that would send you into space. I remember more than one occasion being so stoned that I could hardly function and even remember passing out a couple times in the summer when it was really hot and all baked on some Columbian Gold.

The thing with higher levels of THC is that peoples tolerances go up. People were getting just as high decades ago off of lower THC pot as they are today with higher THC pot. People build up a tolerance to THC so as the THC levels go up so do peoples tolerance levels. I purposely take a break now and again for a week or so from smoking. I've found that I get a much better high with less weed after taking a break. I don't disagree that THC levels are higher today in most cases than they were decades ago. But I don't think people are getting any higher. Because of peoples tolerance to THC they need more to get the same effect. If you stopped smoking for a month and then smoked nothing but say 13% THC after that month of abstinence you would likely get just as high as you do today with 27% THC weed.

bongsmilie
What you're saying makes total sense and I can't disagree with it....but I know there were differences among old school strains other than THC that made the highs different. Yes, we can build up a tolerance to THC and taking a break from regular smoking can intensify the effects of getting high when you get back to smoking after awhile off. I just remember there being real distinct differences from landrace strain to landrace strain. When people started breeding plants, the way they selected the keepers wasn't based on terpenes production. In fact, a lot of the really stinky strains got culled because they were dead giveaways to snoopy neighbors and cops. But I think there was something in those stinky strains that many of us old guys are missing, now. I'd sacrifice THC levels just to get back some of those old flavors.
 

Flowki

Well-Known Member
With the amount of crosses, improvements in growing, lighting, curing etc, isn't an increase in potency pretty obvious?. Why else spend the money on a decent set-up, or care for them properly if it makes no difference to the plants health and potential?.

I get that people will say ''well out door natural weed should always have been potent''. Should it?, the wild is a harsh place with many variables that are not optimal, such as insects, soil nutrition, pollution etc etc. Natural mj isn't breading for potency, it's breeding for survival, it's us who over time looked for stronger thc levels by crossing. Yes we can't compete with the sun but I think by now, with the greater understanding on microbes and all the other nit bits, we can offer a far more stable and friendly indoor environment to harvest higher levels of thc than ''most'' natural out door locations or indoor growers of previous generations.
 

mr. childs

Well-Known Member
i love potent outdoor plants, which to me mean indoors theyll be easier to coax potency out of. we all as consumers are becoming smarter as the truth gets broadcasted about thc numbers like shady used car dealers selling lemons on their lot. labs had to make money by testing higher than normal or drier products, along with picking & choosing specific buds. the funniest part to me is the lower thc numbers that some plants have that are stronger than those with higher numbers due to the complete profile within. the lower number plants also have longer legs to me.
 

althor

Well-Known Member
Yeah, they are finding out now that those old plants with 8% thc were combined with other cannabinoids that would do things like.... lower your tolerance to THC, so you could get ripped off of 8%.

Outdoor wild plants are generally weaker since the main trait is going to be strength to grow and survive. You know how hemp is much hardier than marijuana plants? Yep, same with outdoor wild plants. Go to the northern/central part of the country. There is "ditch weed" growing natural all over the place, it sucks...
 

tstick

Well-Known Member
I often wonder what some of the old, "naturally-grown" landrace strains would be like, nowadays, if they were grown under perfect indoor conditions...if they hadn't been crossed at all and maintained their unique genetic signature throughout all this time. I'll bet some of them would be wonderful!
 

Flowki

Well-Known Member
I often wonder what some of the old, "naturally-grown" landrace strains would be like, nowadays, if they were grown under perfect indoor conditions...if they hadn't been crossed at all and maintained their unique genetic signature throughout all this time. I'll bet some of them would be wonderful!
Yeah no doubt some nice ones would exist.

If this was about humans the topic would be going a very different direction right about now, no implications, just an ironic driven thought.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
I often wonder what some of the old, "naturally-grown" landrace strains would be like, nowadays, if they were grown under perfect indoor conditions...if they hadn't been crossed at all and maintained their unique genetic signature throughout all this time. I'll bet some of them would be wonderful!

I intend to find out. You can still get real landrace strains. I've got just about everything available from the Real Seed Company. https://therealseedcompany.com/product-category/pure-landrace-strain-cannabis-seeds/
 

Lucky Luke

Well-Known Member
With the amount of crosses, improvements in growing, lighting, curing etc, isn't an increase in potency pretty obvious?. Why else spend the money on a decent set-up, or care for them properly if it makes no difference to the plants health and potential?.

I get that people will say ''well out door natural weed should always have been potent''. Should it?, the wild is a harsh place with many variables that are not optimal, such as insects, soil nutrition, pollution etc etc. Natural mj isn't breading for potency, it's breeding for survival, it's us who over time looked for stronger thc levels by crossing. Yes we can't compete with the sun but I think by now, with the greater understanding on microbes and all the other nit bits, we can offer a far more stable and friendly indoor environment to harvest higher levels of thc than ''most'' natural out door locations or indoor growers of previous generations.
Does a Tomato taste better grown lovingly in someone's garden or in someone's indoor setup?
Modern growing under lights is more efficient than it used to be but I don't think that's going to effect the genetics of the plant.
 

a mongo frog

Well-Known Member
I dont understand how people are judging THC Percentages going down? 5 pages of cool conversations, but not one lab test shown. Where are we getting this info from? Wonder how many people in this thread have ever got a lab test done?
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
I've been buying some of the shit on the rec market for the last 8 months or so while my basement is being remodeled....can't grow at the moment....Anyway, I've always gone for the top shelf strains and recommended strains...most of them had been rated at extremely high THC levels -usually above 25%....sometimes even 33%!!! WHAAAAT?

Lately, though, I've noticed the same strains that were previously rated with very high THC levels, last year, are now reappearing with numbers like 12%, 15%, 19%....occasionally a strain in the 20% range. How is that possible throughout the entire market? Every brand is turning out lower numbers now.

Have the testing methods changed? Can we believe what the market is telling us? It seems that, when high THC level strains were what people wanted to see, all of a sudden, strains started showing up with ridiculously high (and often award-winning) levels....hmmmmm....Then, when talk switched away from THC levels, the thing became terpenes. So now, terpene levels are the new number. Are they real? Why would the THC levels have to drop for the terpene levels to rise? Is it just all more bullshit to sift through so that the bud tenders have something new to talk about? ;)
There were a lot of "fake" high numbers being given out by crooked test companies. Perhaps this has stopped and the numbers went down?

Wonder how many people in this thread have ever got a lab test done?
A buddy of mine has a dispensary and my gg4 cut tested at 31%. Waiting on a copy of the test papers.
 

a mongo frog

Well-Known Member
A buddy of mine has a dispensary and my gg4 cut tested at 31%. Waiting on a copy of the test papers.
Then that would mean THC percentages are going up or staying close to the same. Few years ago I posted a 27.8% og cut, and a 23% Strawberry Banana. Soon after that captianmorgan posted a 29 percent i don't remember what and then Mean Gene posted a 28%, then after that I think Tony Greene posted a 31 or 32 % gorilla bubble.
I understand with all this state wide legal weed it is getting harder and scarier to test I was just wondering why people think THC% are going down.
 

Moflow

Well-Known Member
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