Marijuana isn’t just for smokers — especially under the law established by Colorado’s Amendment 64.
The state constitutional amendment that legalized the drug’s recreational use permits possession of up to 1 ounce of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient that produces a euphoric high.
Many people think only in terms of the raw plant material that is dried and smoked and called marijuana. They envision an ounce of dried marijuana plant in a small bag or container — a form that yields about 40 standard cigarettes.
They do not consider THC in concentrated and highly potent forms known as hash oil and wax, typically sold at potency levels between 80 percent and 90 percent THC. At that concentration, these products are a far cry from the weed smoked at Woodstock that was around 2 percent THC.
THC concentrates are sprayed on and infused into foods and drinks called edibles. They are also loaded into electronic cigarettes, where the concentrate heats and is vaporized by the user for a faster, more intense high. Users talk about “waxing,” “dabbing” and “vaping.”
One ounce of concentrated THC is the chemical equivalent of more than 2,800 average-size servings of edibles such as brownies or candy (the state has determined that an edibles serving size is 10 mg). Researchers say vaping one hit of THC is the equivalent of 1/20th of a gram. That means 1 ounce of hash oil is the rough equivalent of 560 standard hits.
