The Potent Promises (and Perils) of Modern Marijuana
Pot is more popular than it's ever been—and more powerful too. Driven by precision-cultivation techniques, sophisticated extraction, and old-fashioned consumer demand, the rise of ultrapotent cannabis (and its knockoffs) is sparking new science, new health concerns, and new ways of thinking about an increasingly destigmatized drug. National Geographic dives into the cutting-edge frontier of marijuana today. Inside the lab-driven quest for the ultimate high
By Rosecrans Baldwin
Think the heart of the United States' $32 billion cannabis industry looks like a greenhouse? Think again. It increasingly looks like a chemistry lab, full of scientists remixing marijuana into startlingly powerful concentrates—and just starting to reimagine what compounds in the plant can do. Photograph by Sergiy Barchuk; Set Design: Mat Cullen, Lalaland Artists
By Stacey Colino and Brian Kevin
What's causing the bizarre, debilitating symptoms that seem to afflict more and more users of high-potency pot? As diagnoses surge, researchers want answers. Sufferers of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome just want relief. Photograph by Sergiy Barchuk; Set Design: Mat Cullen, Lalaland Artists What exactly is in gas station weed?
By Stacey Colino
Fake pot? Marijuana lite? Thanks to legal loopholes, sketchy cannabis alternatives are readily available, even in states where plain old weed is outlawed. The highs are real—and so are the risks. Photograph by Rebecca Hale, National Geographic Does high-potency cannabis impair mental health?
By Stacey Colino
For all marijuana's therapeutic benefits, medical researchers are also sounding alarms about frequent use of its high-octane derivatives—especially among teens. And as supercharged pot goes mainstream, it's dispelling the myth of a nonaddictive drug. Photograph by Sergiy Barchuk; Set Design: Mat Cullen, Lalaland Artists Why synthetic pot could be the future of pain relief
By Devin Powell
Scientists set out to conquer chronic pain by sidestepping the parts of the nervous system that get cannabis users high. To pull it off, they needed help from an unlikely molecule: a designer street drug so noxious it's been blamed for causing 'zombie outbreaks' around the world. Photograph by Sergiy Barchuk; Set Design: Mat Cullen, Lalaland Artists
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National Geographic
2 days ago
- National Geographic
The world's oldest neurologist answers your questions about aging
At 103, Howard Tucker is the world's oldest practicing doctor. He answered these burning questions from Nat Geo readers. Dr. Howard Tucker, the world's oldest practicing doctor, answers your questions about how to stay healthy for longer. Image Courtesy What's Next? Documentary It can be overwhelming to navigate all the advice out there on how to live a longer and healthier life. But who better to learn from than someone who has already done it? National Geographic recently went right to the source of longevity tips in an interview with Howard Tucker, who at 103 is the world's oldest practicing doctor—and a TikTok star, with 102,000 followers and counting. His secret to longevity? As Tucker told writer Alisa Hrustic, he credits 'a continuous pursuit of knowledge and connection—and the occasional martini.' (At 102, he's the world's oldest practicing doctor. These are his longevity tips.) Tucker's advice was so popular that we put out a call to readers, offering you a chance to ask him your own burning questions about aging, longevity, or living a healthier life. And Tucker delivered. Read on to find out whether he answered your question—and what he really thinks about dietary supplements, ageism, and why you reap real advantages from spending time with the young people in your life. 1. What's a common misconception people have about living over 80? People think that everyone over 80 has an addled brain and is beginning to dement. This is not true. Far from it. There are plenty of older people who are intact mentally, even physically. 2. At what age did you start experiencing ageism in medicine? How would you combat this type of discriminatory thinking? When I go to a doctor with someone with me, the doctors will talk to the others and bypass me because they think I'm not capable of incorporating it all. I'm having trouble now getting a new job because of my age. They presume, number one, I don't have it all anymore. And number two, I won't be here when the time comes to testify [about] the medical legal stuff. When people tell me that they are discriminated against because of their age, I can only tell them that the concept is common, not necessarily personal, and does not reflect on their own frailties. So, keep moving forward and ignore what they're saying about you. 3. As someone with Alzheimer's running on all sides of my family, what are some habits or suggestions to combat it? Stay engaged. Have friends who stimulate you. Continue to read and study and maintain an attitude about life that's exuberant. Although I must confess, I knew some brilliant people who stayed active mentally, still developed Alzheimer's. But the prevailing concept is that one should do these intellectual exercises to keep things going. Some people will say yes. Others say no, hogwash. I will say that at one point, the lowest consumers of extra vitamins were physicians themselves, and now, they're just like the rest of the herd. They take supplements. To me, the jury is still out. It may help some, we think, and may not help others. (5 things you should know before taking that supplement.) 5. What is your opinion about the best activities to help us with the process of aging? The key is to stay active, meaning physically and mentally. Physically, just walking will do it. And mentally is reading and puzzles, as they've always said. And staying stimulated—by younger people for the most part. In my instance, engaging with younger colleagues is stimulating. 6. How much does our environment, pollution, access to the outdoors, etc., influence our health and longevity? I don't know about climate change, but pollution is definitely hazardous for longevity. There have been studies on this. People who live near factories which have polluted the air, or foundries, they have complications, which shortens their life. The concept is: 'running cold water does not freeze.' And joints that stay active do not freeze. So far as I know, there is no cure. There are medicines to slow down the progression. 8. Over the course of your career, what has changed the most in how we understand the aging brain? The MRI and CAT scan. They took us from medieval times into the modern century.
National Geographic
5 days ago
- National Geographic
What exactly is in gas station weed?
Edibles containing the psychoactive compound delta-8-THC, derived from federally legal hemp, are available even in some U.S. states where cannabis remains banned—although they are not FDA-approved. Photographs by Rebecca Hale This article is part of The New Cannabis, a National Geographic exploration into the most critical questions raised by today's stronger, stranger, ever more accessible weed. Learn more. Though the term is widely used in today's cannabis culture, synthetic marijuana is a bit of a misnomer. The truth is, 'there's no such thing as synthetic marijuana or synthetic cannabis,' says Deepak Cyril D'Souza, professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Usually people use synthetic marijuana to refer to a cannabis product that was derived from hemp and contains the psychoactive substance delta-8, or one that was produced from a series of compounds that were synthetically made in a lab (aka synthetic cannabinoids). While both types of products mimic the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, 'synthetic cannabinoids are between 10 and 200 times more potent' than the usual THC in cannabis, D'Souza says. Yet many people don't realize this, and synthetic cannabinoids are very easy to purchase. They are often sold at gas stations, bodegas, convenience stores, and smoke shops around the United States. And because of a loophole in federal law, which makes delta-8-THC legal (unlike delta-9-THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis), teenagers can buy gummies, flavored vaping cartridges, and other delta-8-containing products right off the shelf. (Delta-8 tends to be less potent than delta-9 but still carries risks on its own.) A study last year found that 11 percent of high school seniors reported using delta-8. This selection of cannabis edibles contains both delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC. Synthesized delta-8 also comes in other forms, including vapes, tinctures, and smokable hemp flower. How delta-8 products differ from regular marijuana Delta-9 creates the high that people typically experience from consuming cannabis. Delta-8 has psychoactive effects that are similar to those produced by delta-9, though delta-8 is naturally less potent. While delta-9 continues to be illegal at the federal level, delta-8 is legal because of a loophole in the U.S. Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which legalized the cultivation and sale of hemp. Though hemp and marijuana both come from the Cannabis sativa plant, they differ in their chemical composition, especially their concentration of delta-9. By definition, hemp may not contain a delta-9 concentration of more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis, whereas marijuana can contain significantly more. Hemp also contains small amounts of delta-8. To get enough delta-8 for commercial products, manufacturers extract and convert CBD (cannabidiol, another compound naturally present in cannabis that is legal and nonintoxicating) from hemp to delta-8 in a lab, using chemicals such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, toluene, or heptane. Despite delta-8 being legal on a federal level, some states have banned or severely restricted it in recent years, which puts its legal status in a gray area. Even so, delta-8 remains legal in more states than not, as well as in Washington, D.C. Unlike products that contain delta-9, delta-8 products are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which means that potency and purity can vary. There's also a risk they may contain undetected impurities from the environment or the conversion process, research has found. In fact, common contaminants in delta-8 products include residual solvents, pesticides, microbes, and heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury, all of which may pose their own health risks, according to studies. Meanwhile, there was a significant uptick in concerned calls from consumers to America's Poison Centers about experiences with delta-8, with an 82 percent increase from 2021 to 2022 (to 3,358 calls). Even without the presence of impurities, delta-8 can have problematic effects, especially because many people are consuming it in high amounts since they view it as 'weed lite' or 'marijuana lite,' experts say. 'A lot of young people think delta-8 is not as potent as delta-9,' notes Akhil Anand, an addiction psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor at the Cleveland Clinic. 'But because of the lack of regulations, the way it's consumed, and the risk of contaminants and adulterants … people can become dependent or addicted.' Edibles, like this chocolate bar containing delta-8 and delta-9, make up the third largest segment of the legal U.S. cannabis market, behind flower and vaping products. K2, spice, and skunk: 'off-the-charts intoxicating' Unlike delta-8, synthetic cannabinoids are a class of substances that are made in a lab and designed to mimic THC from cannabis. 'It's not really cannabis at all,' Anand says, because synthetic cannabinoids are entirely manufactured from chemicals. Some of these synthetic products—with names like K2, spice, Scooby snacks, or skunk—are marketed in colorful packaging as herbal incense or potpourri, and they're often made by spraying synthetic compounds (such as naphthoylindoles, naphthylmethylindoles, phenylacetylindoles, and others with equally tongue-twisting names) onto dried plant material so it looks like cannabis, Anand says. These products are not legal—when it comes to their manufacturing, sale, or consumption—at the federal level or the state level. In fact, many of these compounds have been banned by the federal government and classified as Schedule I controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In recent years there have been several arrests and indictments of people involved in synthetic cannabinoid drug trafficking rings, including arrests this year related to a website-driven scheme to provide K2 and spice to people in prisons. Because standard drug tests are designed to detect traditional THC, they won't detect synthetic cannabinoids. Not surprisingly, these products often appeal to people who are concerned about being tested for drugs such as those in the military, the federal government, or the prison system, D'Souza says. A complicating factor: 'We can't test for these in the emergency department,' Anand explains, 'so it becomes challenging to treat these patients because we don't know what they have taken.' And the patients can't or won't tell emergency department doctors what they have taken because 'they're often not in the right state of mind,' Anand says. Consuming synthetic cannabinoids can be dangerous. One review of studies found these products were responsible for a 'higher toxicity than THC and longer-lasting effects,' including increased risk of psychiatric disorders. And deaths have been linked to synthetic cannabinoids laced with chemicals found in rat poison. In a study in the July 2025 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers analyzed adverse effects associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids, as reported in 49 published studies. The predominant ones involved the neurological and cardiovascular systems, with symptoms such as seizures, altered consciousness, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), and hypertension. Another 2025 study found that people with a dependence on synthetic cannabinoids exhibited more impulsivity and self-harming behaviors than their healthy peers. These products are especially risky for teens because their brains are still developing, D'Souza adds. 'These can be off-the-charts intoxicating because manufacturers are putting high concentrations in these products,' says Robert Welch, a pharmacist and director of the National Center for Cannabis Research and Education at the University of Mississippi. 'My advice is just to avoid this stuff because there's no way to know what you're taking.' Besides being dangerous in their own right, these synthetic products take attention 'away from the health benefits that properly grown and sourced cannabis products can have,' Welch says. 'People don't understand the differences.' A version of this story appears in the September 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine.
National Geographic
5 days ago
- National Geographic
Does high-potency cannabis impair mental health?
Photographs by Sergiy Barchuk This article is part of The New Cannabis, a National Geographic exploration into the most critical questions raised by today's stronger, stranger, ever more accessible weed. Learn more. Once upon a time, getting high from marijuana entailed smoking a joint, a pipe, or a bong. Those days are gone. Now there are numerous routes of consumption, some of which deliver a more potent buzz—but carry a risk of more serious side effects. In the latter category are dabbing and vaping, which are most prevalent among adults ages 18 to 24, according to a 2025 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With vaping, cannabis oil or flower is heated to a temperature that releases cannabinoids as vapor to inhale. Some vaping devices can be loaded with dry herb or cannabis flower, while others are intended to be used with high-potency concentrates like oil or resin. One reason it appeals to teens and young adults: 'Vaping is a discreet way to use cannabis in a public space—there's a convenience factor,' says Deepak Cyril D'Souza, professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. 'One hit can deliver a lot, and get you high very quickly.' With dabbing, by contrast, people inhale vapors from highly concentrated THC-based oils—such as wax (a gooey form of hash oil) or shatter (a solid, glasslike version)—that have been heated, often using a blowtorch and a modified bong or a water pipe called a dab rig. Dabbing isn't as discreet as vaping because 'with dabbing, you need paraphernalia,' D'Souza says. Handheld dab pens are simpler alternatives—but some dab fans suggest dab pens can sacrifice flavor. Making such devices smaller, simpler, and cheaper is a major focus of the increasingly innovation-driven cannabis industry. From left to right: DISTILLATE VAPE CARTRIDGE Oil; THC potency as high as 95 percent. THCA SAND Concentrated tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA); converts to 75 to 90 percent THC when heated. INFUSED JOINTS Pre-rolled joints blended with or coated in a concentrate product; varied potency. CANNABIS TOPICALS Balms and creams applied to skin; nonintoxicating, typically low THC content. MARIJUANA FLOWER THC potency can reach nearly 35 percent; average closer to 15 percent. Back in the 1960s, the THC concentration in cannabis was around 4 percent, D'Souza notes. Currently, it's around 18 percent, with some products made from cannabis bud at 35 percent. But 'concentrates that are vaped could have THC concentrations that are 65 to 95 percent. With that comes greater risk,' says D'Souza. THC concentrations in dabs can also range from 60 to 90 percent. A major concern is that using cannabis with high THC concentrations could have harmful effects on mental health, especially with repeated or chronic use. This includes a risk of developing anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, or psychosis, says Akhil Anand, an addiction psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor at the Cleveland Clinic. These approaches are 'very dangerous. Patients are putting themselves at high risk for psychotic symptoms.' 'It's not the method per se that's risky. The main issue is that dabbing and vaping are associated with very high levels of THC,' adds D'Souza. 'We know that negative consequences of THC are dose-related. The more you're exposed to the higher concentrations of THC, the more likely there are to be negative consequences.' Meanwhile, some of the mental health risks are especially high for teens. A study in a 2024 issue of the journal Psychological Medicine found that adolescents who used high-potency cannabis weekly had an 11 times greater risk of developing a psychotic disorder. Young adults over the age of 19 did not have an increased risk. Part of the vulnerability is because teen brains are still developing and undergoing changes related to pruning, a process in which the brain eliminates unnecessary neurons and neural connections, D'Souza says. 'This process leads to maturation of the brain,' he explains. Regular use of high-potency THC can disrupt these physiological processes in the brain. 'In younger people, being exposed to these potent psychoactive substances can affect cognitive skills such as memory, concentration, attention, analytical thinking, and impulsivity,' Anand says. 'It's bad for everybody, but it's devastating in younger people because these effects can be permanent.' Research has also found that people who experience cannabis-induced psychosis at any age have a 47 percent higher risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In addition to these mental health risks, there are potential consequences for physical health. Use of vaping concentrates can lead to 'popcorn lung' (aka bronchiolitis obliterans, a disease that affects small airways in the lungs), shortness of breath, a nagging or persistent cough, and wheezing, says Robert Welch, a pharmacist and director of the National Center for Cannabis Research and Education at the University of Mississippi. Over time, chronic irritation of lung tissue could increase the risk of long-term damage to the lungs. And dabbing can expose people to contaminants, including heavy metals, solvents, and pesticides. Among Gen Z consumers of legal cannabis—those born between 1997 and 2009—sales of vaping products exceed all other categories, including edibles and flower, according to the industry data firm Headset. Who's at risk for addiction? With these high-potency forms of cannabis consumption, there's a greater risk of developing cannabis use disorder—'which boils down to a loss of control of cannabis use even though it interferes with your personal life, academic life, or professional life,' D'Souza says. Generally, 'most people who are using these high levels of THC started at a lower level, with milder THC potency, and developed a high tolerance so they need more, more, more,' Anand says. 'People can develop an addiction where they need it or crave it.' This is a greater concern with today's high-potency cannabis. 'We used to think the risk of cannabis use disorder was less than one in 10—that's because the cannabis used to be much weaker,' D'Souza says. 'In the current cannabis landscape, the rates of cannabis use disorder are closer to one in three. And the younger brain is much more likely to develop addiction because the brain undergoes its greatest changes in early to mid adolescence.' In fact, research has found that teens are at significantly higher risk of developing cannabis use disorder within the first year after starting to use cannabis than adults are. 'There's this misconception that you can't get addicted to cannabis,' Welch says. 'That's just not true, especially with regular or high use' of today's high-potency cannabis. Perhaps counterintuitively, concerns about high-potency pot have prompted calls for the federal government to remove cannabis from its most restrictive class of illicit drugs. Legal limits on THC content vary at state levels, and moving cannabis from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Schedule I to Schedule III would allow for federal regulations on potency. This reclassification was initiated in 2024, during the previous presidential administration, but it's now in limbo. A version of this story appears in the September 2025 issue of National Geographic magazine. Set Design: Mat Cullen, Lalaland Artists
