Dr. Catherine Antley: Keep cap on THC limits in cannabis concentrates

This commentary is by Dr. Catherine Antley, a Burlington physician and member of the Vermont Medical Society.

The recent VTDigger article on THC limits in cannabis concentrates leaves out the important fact that Vermont law currently includes a 60% cap on THC in solid concentrates. Thankfully lawmakers in the Vermont House have listened to the science, and they are working to keep the high THC concentrates cap in H.548.

The intent of Act 164 as passed and as sold to Vermonters is that the commercial sale of cannabis is “for the purpose of public health and safety.”

What is new is the Cannabis Control Board’s push for these dangerous products before the market in Vermont is even off the ground. These are not products used by the “casual” cannabis consumer. In the 1990s, the average THC content in marijuana flower was less than 4%. It is now about 15% — and we’re talking about products with a potency of up to 80 or 90% THC.

What do we know about these products? The science is settled that they are dangerous, especially for the development of severe mental illness. The chair of the Vermont CCB testified last month, “I recognize that these concentrates are dangerous … they are dangerous, you know … there are long term negative health consequences of consuming high THC concentrates.”

A dot the size of a grain of rice of concentrate is “dabbed” using a nail and blow torch at temperatures around 500-700 degrees. The products are so powerful, people report developing a dependence immediately.

Thousands of Colorado families and individuals have been affected by the harms of THC marijuana concentrates and have contacted their representatives. Lawmakers also watched first hand as psychosis, schizophrenia and addiction developed in their families who, to quote Dr. Robin Murray, “would be well but for their cannabis use.”

Colorado Representative Judy Amabile testified about her son. Colorado’s attorney general also testified on the increasing Colorado youth use and need for consumer protection, and eventually a 2021 bill resulted in mandatory warnings on THC marijuana concentrates. The bill also allocated $3 million dollars alone for a scoping review of the all the quality peer reviewed literature on high THC concentrates. The results are due in June 2022.

By law, Colorado purchasers of THC cannabis concentrates must now be warned that use may lead to “psychotic symptoms … mental health problems … uncontrolled and repetitive vomiting … and … physical and psychological dependence.”

Cannabis is now the drug most often found in completed teen suicide in Colorado. The Colorado warning includes a telephone number for the suicide hot line. See your 2022 Vermont statehouse testimony on high THC concentrates here.

While controlling the illicit market is cited as a reason to lift the Vermont THC caps, there is no convincing evidence that lifting the THC caps will decrease the illicit market on the products. Where there are no caps, like California and Colorado, the illicit market has increased.

In Quebec, high THC concentrates are capped, and the use of prohibited (illicit) products like high THC concentrates is lower as compared to neighboring Canadian provinces without THC concentrates caps. This is logical. With a high THC cap these products are not produced legally to then be diverted to the illegal market and they are not promoted as safe through legal advertising to the public 21 and older.

It is now understood that high THC concentrates act as an environmental health risk for severe mental illnesses like psychosis or schizophrenia in a city or locale, just as we know that lead is an environmental risk factor for low IQ or air pollution is a risk for lung disease.

So why is the CCB pushing for these products now? Maybe because the cannabis industry, like tobacco and opioid, wishes to create the most highly addictive product. “Dependence is good for the bottom line,” as Beau Kilmer, Vermont Rand report author, testified to the Vermont Senate Finance Committee in 2016, predicting that industry would create new products and strategies to increase dependence regardless of the harms.

Vermont physicians, nurses and mental health providers, already overwhelmed by a pandemic and a Vermont mental health crisis, will be left taking care of the increase in psychosis, schizophrenia, suicidality, unrelenting vomiting with resulting kidney failure, dehydration, seizures, and dependence (addiction).

Many mental health harms of cannabis THC concentrates are sadly irreversible. To help prevent mental illness and addiction, I only hope that by the time you read this, the cap will still be in place.

Image courtesy of U.S. National Guard

4 thoughts on “Dr. Catherine Antley: Keep cap on THC limits in cannabis concentrates

  1. IMHO, retail THC cannabis is a bad, bad idea. And I’ve used the stuff for over 50 years.
    However, CBD is the best thing since sliced bread.
    I’ve seen the potency of commercial THC products increase to dangerous levels just because they can.
    Some people have an addictive personality and cannot handle any drug, be it cannabis, alcohol, tobacco or even Vitamin B. Hence the need for some type of regulation. It should stop at personal cultivation. Not that it matters much anymore when Fentanyl is readily available thanks to the open border policy. FJB.

  2. I have always thought Phil,Scott is a RINO.I have a hard time sipporting him. However,m on this veto he was correct. Thank goodness there were a couple of Democrats who listened to their people. The rest of the Dem/Progs do not care about their constituents who need fuel and food, but only about green fantasies.

  3. OK., so marijuana is really bad for you, unless you are a Vermont Democrat/Progressive legislator who does not care if the dope is 10+ times worse than it was when they were smoking it at Woodstock. So, it is perfectly OK and you can enjoy “psychosis, schizophrenia, suicidality, unrelenting vomiting with resulting kidney failure, dehydration, seizures, and dependence (addiction).” Sounds about right to me.. I am sure black market dope providers will label the stuff appropriately.The feds still classify it as a dangerous drug. So, if you wanrt to buy a gun, fly a plane, handle hazmat, be a health care provider, join the arned sevices, be a cop or firefighter. or do anything that requires drug screening, you are in deep doo doo.

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