Classified as a hallucinogen, along with LSD and PCP, in the past few decades the potency of marijuana’s active ingredient, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), has increased by a factor of 2-3 times, reaching THC levels of 15-20%.
Such strains as the now popular KUSH have THC percentages of over 30%. The psychoactive components are not water-soluble and therefore must be smoked or ingested, rather than injected. Until the mid-1900s, marijuana was primarily ingested in a baked or elixir form, but since then it is usually smoked, although in places like Colorado edible candies are growing rapidly in popularity.
