MARIJUANA POTENCY SHOOTS UP

The Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) now growing
marijuana in Northern California have changed their cultivation
practices to yield a higher potency pot as measured by the active
ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol. The percentage of THC in the
marijuana seized by law enforcement in the United States continues to
climb. In 1986, the seized pot averaged 2.8 percent THC. By 2005, it
had risen to 8.14 percent.

In Northern California, law enforcement has noted a dramatic shift in
the way pot is being cultivated in many of the larger grows. Before
2006, most outdoor marijuana grown in the region was closer to 2-3
percent THC. In 2006, many different sites had THC concentrations
closer to 8-12 percent. Law enforcement officers attribute this shift
to the higher prices stronger cannabis commands and the improving
horticultural practices of the Mexican DTOs.

These DTOs typically use only select seeds from Mexico, prepare the
seedlings in greenhouses, plant the seedlings outdoors before late
April, separate male from female plants prior to pollination, and use
high-nitrogen fertilizer. Moreover, these DTOs are increasingly using
cloned starter plants, irrigation systems with drip lines extending to
each plant and pesticides. The higher potency marijuana produced from
outdoor plants in California often is comparable in quality to
Canadian-produced "British Columbia bud" and commands twice the price
of other commercial-grade Mexican marijuana available in the region.
With prime growing conditions, the THC content can reach 30 percent.

Cloned starter plants allow cannabis cultivators to grow only higher
quality female plants raising the product THC content. Cloning is a
common agricultural practice, that until recently has not been
employed in large marijuana operations. The simple process involves
removing cuttings from the selected plants, allowing roots to sprout
and then planting the seedling. This creates many plants of the same
genetic makeup as the parent plant that was likely selected for yield
and potency. The use of clones ensures the plants have a
well-established root system when planted, increasing the chance of a
successful harvest.