Powerful marijuana putting teens at risk

WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- A federal report said marijuana sold in the United States is at least twice as strong as it was in 1983 and poses a serious risk for teens.

The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project said levels of THC -- the main psychoactive substance in marijuana -- have reached the highest-ever amounts since analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reported Thursday.

The average amount of THC in recently seized samples was 9.6 percent, compared to an average of just under 4 percent in 1983.

"Baby boomer parents who still think marijuana is a harmless substance need to look at the facts,"

John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a statement. "Marijuana potency has grown steeply over the past decade, with serious implications in particular for young people, who may be not only at increased risk for various psychological conditions, cognitive deficits and respiratory problems, but are also at significantly higher risk for developing dependency on other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, than are non-smokers."

The report said higher potency marijuana may be contributing to a growing number of teenagers in treatment for marijuana dependence.