Summary: Many cannabis users do not know what constitutes an effective dose of THC or CBD.
Source: University at Buffalo
Frequent cannabis users may lack basic knowledge about cannabinoid content and dosing.
Researchers from the University at Buffalo and the University of Michigan surveyed attendees at an annual marijuana advocacy event on the University of Michigan campus and found that even highly engaged cannabis users often do not understand how much THC or CBD makes an effective dose.
Their findings underscore a need for improved public health education and further research, according to Daniel Kruger, PhD, lead author of the study published online in the journal Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. The study highlights widespread misunderstandings about cannabinoid concentrations and the dosages that produce effects.
“Even people who are the most enthusiastic have very poor knowledge of cannabinoid content,” said Kruger, a research associate professor of community health and health behavior in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions and a research investigator with the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan. “They greatly overestimated how much THC and CBD are in various strains, and what effective dosages are.”
Nearly 500 Hash Bash participants completed a 24-item questionnaire. Two-thirds reported daily cannabis use, and most said they used cannabis for health or medical reasons. More than three-quarters said their knowledge about cannabis came from their own experiences rather than formal guidance.
Survey respondents were asked to indicate, in milligrams, what they considered an effective dose of THC and CBD. THC is the main psychoactive compound that produces the high commonly associated with cannabis; CBD is not psychoactive in the same way but can reduce anxiety and produce other effects. Respondents could also select “I don’t know.”
Most participants chose “I don’t know.” Among those who gave numeric answers, the average estimated effective dose was 91 milligrams for THC and 177 milligrams for CBD—substantially higher than accepted effective ranges and, for THC, dangerously inaccurate.
“The average estimate for an effective dose of THC would actually be fatal in humans,” Kruger said.
One respondent even wrote that 1,000,000 milligrams was an effective THC dose. “That’s a kilogram of THC,” Kruger noted, illustrating the extreme overestimation some users reported.
Participants were also asked to estimate the percentage THC and CBD content they associate with high- and low-potency strains. The majority (58%) believed a low-THC strain contained 20% THC or more—levels typically considered high. Twenty-two percent thought a low-THC strain contained 40% THC or higher, exceeding concentrations available on the market. For CBD, 86% believed that a low-CBD strain had at least 10% CBD, a concentration usually regarded as high-CBD; nearly half thought a low-CBD strain had 30% CBD or more, which is higher than current strain levels.
“Our results suggest the need for broad-based cannabis education programs to help advocates and the general public better understand and manage their use of the drug,” said co-author R. Lorraine Collins, PhD, associate dean for research in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.
This paper continues a series of studies by Kruger and colleagues based on Hash Bash data. Their research repeatedly shows gaps in users’ knowledge and limited public health messaging on safe cannabis use and harm reduction—a concern as legalization expands across states and product potencies rise.
Researchers emphasize the stakes are higher as more Americans use cannabis for recreational and medical reasons and as product potency increases. “Cannabis strains are 20 times as potent today as they were during the Summer of Love,” said co-author Jessica Kruger, PhD, clinical assistant professor of community health and health behavior in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.
The central takeaway is clear: better education is needed. “We really have to educate people. This has very real consequences, because these compounds have differential effects,” Daniel Kruger said. He added that, despite growing legality—medical or recreational—for most Americans, reliable information about safe and effective cannabis use remains limited.
About this neuroscience research article
Source:
University at Buffalo
Media Contacts:
David Hill – University at Buffalo
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Original Research: Closed access
“Frequent cannabis users demonstrate low knowledge of cannabinoid content and dosages” by Daniel Kruger et al., Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2020.1752150.
Abstract
Frequent cannabis users demonstrate low knowledge of cannabinoid content and dosages
Background: The legal status of cannabis is changing rapidly, outpacing systematic research and public education.
Aims: The study assessed knowledge about cannabinoid concentrations and dosing among frequent cannabis users.
Methods: A brief survey was conducted in April 2019 (N = 472) at a cannabis advocacy event in a state with legal medical and recreational adult use.
Findings: Most participants (67%) used cannabis daily and 85% used it for health or medical reasons. Most reported learning about cannabis through personal experience (78%), with fewer citing dispensaries or medical caregivers (23%) or primary care providers (18%). A majority reported not knowing effective dosages for THC (53%) or CBD (68%); the numeric averages given were 91 mg and 177 mg, respectively. Respondents’ average estimates for what constituted high- or low-THC and CBD strengths were far higher than standard definitions. Men, European Americans, and those with medical cannabis cards were somewhat more accurate in estimating cannabinoid concentrations.
Conclusions: Frequent cannabis users reported low knowledge of and substantially overestimated cannabinoid content. As accessibility increases, education and research on cannabinoid dosages are increasingly important.
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