Of course they are - those who drank bathtub gin during Prohibition switched to legal booze when Prohibition was wisely ended.
Maybe. But the people that I know who are using it are looking for the high.
Which doesn't mean they want contaminants; Prohibition drinkers drank for effect, but switched to legal booze when Prohibition ended.
never before did pot have 40% THC
As has been noted on another thread, "It’s like comparing hard alcohol to beer. One simply needs to use less of it to achieve the same effect."
Question: hey, another thought — can you buy legal pot with minimal THC? Comparable to the type that was available decades ago that everyone touted as healthful and medicinal? Maybe it was healthful, maybe it wasn't but that was then and this is now and it is reasonable to assume that 40% THC might be harmful.
Also, I wonder if the pot growers and producers have gone on record as stating that the massive amounts of THC, in the product that they sell, is harmless. Plus, the producers are using nasty chemicals (fertilizers, etc.) to increase their yields. Requires a hazmat suit to apply the chemicals. That stuff is being ingested too.
There is still no studies nor information on a large population of people consuming massive amounts of THC. But there will be.
Hey, maybe it is best to stay away from legal pot (with 40% THC) and find a dealer who will sell you naturally grown pot with (<1% THC). :)