The U.S. surgeon general warned in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Rising” that new strains of marijuana are more dangerous than those developed a decade ago.
“The marijuana of even 10 years ago was less than 5 percent THC [tetrahydrocannabinol], which is the product that causes you to get high, which can cause addiction, which can cause problems,” Dr. Jerome Adams told Hill.TV’s Saagar Enjeti.
“The new strains that are professionally grown are 10, 15, 20 percent THC, and then when you vape them or dab them through these new devices, folks are getting 50, 60, 70 percent THC delivered,” he said.
“I like to have a glass of wine every once in a while,” he added. “But that doesn’t mean I endorse a pint of grain alcohol.”
Adams’s comments come as the push for legalizing marijuana has become more popular in recent years.
A CBS News poll released in April found that 65 percent of Americans believe the substance should be legal, marking a record level of support.
A number of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have also come out in support of marijuana legalization, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who released her plan for legalization Wednesday.
— Julia Manchester
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