How Potency Shopping Hurts The Cannabis Industry

Cannabis Potency Shopping: What?      The potency of cannabis is one of the most important factors in the cannabis industry, b...

Cannabis Potency Shopping: What?

    The potency of cannabis is one of the most important factors in the cannabis industry, both for consumers as well as businesses. With the rise of cannabis potency shopping, it has become easier for businesses to find higher-testing laboratories, but this has proven to be incredibly harmful to the industry. Excitement over high percentage products has driven people into a fervor at the idea of buying the strongest stuff out there, but it's overshadowing the fact that much of the test results they're seeing are fake. Many call it "potency inflation" but no matter what word you use for it, it's easy to see the dangers regular folks can face as a result of it.

Cannabis potency shopping is the practice of seeking out the highest-strength lab results for cannabis products, such as flowers and concentrates, regardless of accuracy. This can be dangerous for consumers, as higher-strength and mis-dosed products can be more difficult to judge, and may lead to more intense and longer-lasting highs. For inexperienced consumers, this can lead to overconsumption, which can be dangerous and unpleasant. Folks who need highly regimented doses of cannabis for control over chronic and even short-term illnesses find themselves undermedicated as they utilize lower dosage weed I.E. stuff they thought was 12% in THC, but is really 7%.

In addition to the potential for the negative in terms of low-dose medication, there is an equal worry about overdosing. People who rely on cannabis as their medication to control pain, inflammation, or any other of number issues are at risk when they cannot get accurate info on what they are receiving due to shifty testing labs. Your grandmother in her 70s may very well benefit from heavy THC topical ointment, but not at all for the lower dosage due to the absorption rate. On the flip side, maybe the 8-year-old who benefits from the anti-inflammatory effects of such medicine doesn't need a heavy hail-mary dose of THC.

The Bigger Picture For The Cannabis Industry

    Cannabis potency shopping can also be detrimental to the cannabis industry as a whole. When consumers are seeking out higher-strength products, they are likely to buy less of a product. This can lead to increased costs of production and decreased profits for producers, as they are not able to make up the cost of the product through sales. Additionally, the increased demand for higher-strength products can lead to less investment in the development of lower-strength products, which could be beneficial to novice consumers.

Cannabis potency shopping can also lead to a decrease in quality control. When consumers are looking for higher-strength products, producers may be incentivized to cut corners in their production process in order to produce more potent products in a shorter amount of time. This can lead to a decrease in the quality of the final product and a higher potential for contamination. One of the worst-case scenarios is when trying to rush or under QC concentrates- the potential for leaving heavy metals and other extremely harsh contaminants used in the refinement process is high, and the demand for a high percentage testing product is insane. Nobody wants wax that's 40%.

Overall, cannabis potency shopping is detrimental to the cannabis industry for a variety of reasons and affects consumers in many different ways. Consumers should be aware of the potential risks associated with seeking out higher-strength products and producers should be mindful of the potential for decreased profits and quality control. With proper education and regulation, the cannabis industry can thrive without the dangers of cannabis potency shopping. Ultimately, it is up to state and local governments to implement robust testing laws to prevent situations like this- you cannot hope to rely on industry to regulate itself. Otherwise, the stock market wouldn't need rules!