Eventually, most adults reach a point where we realize we are out of touch with those much younger than us.

Perhaps it is a pop culture reference that sparks the realization. For me, this moment happened when I was in my late 20s and working with adolescents in school settings to help them quit smoking. When other drugs would occasionally come up, I didn’t understand some of the slang terms they used for these drugs. Many people may have that feeling now when the topic of cannabis comes up – especially in its different and newer forms.

As a professor of psychology, I focus my research on substance use in adolescents and young adults. A major change during my time in research is the legalization and explosion of cannabis availability across the U.S.

There are arguments for and against increasing legalization of cannabis for adult use in the U.S., but expanded access to legal cannabis also may have unintended consequences for adolescents. These consequences are compounded by the increasing potency of some cannabis products.

I use the word “cannabis” since it refers to the plant from which the drugs are derived. It also serves as a catch-all term for any substance with chemical compounds from cannabis plants and addresses concerns that the word marijuana has some long-standing racist overtones.

Cannabis now comes in a larger variety of forms than it used to. When most people over 40 think of cannabis, they imagine its dried form for smoking. This cannabis was not particularly strong: The average THC concentration of cannabis seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1995 was 4%, while it was roughly 15% in 2021.

In addition to the smoked form, some might remember an edible form, often baked into a dessert like a brownie, or hashish, which is derived from more potent parts of the cannabis plant.

Today there are many different cannabis concentrates that have high levels of THC, typically ranging from 40% to 70%, and more than 80% in some cases, depending on the method of extraction.

These include oils that can be vaporized by vape or dab pens, waxier substances and even powders.

THC and cannabidiol, or CBD, are the most common chemicals in cannabis. Each one interacts with the brain in different ways, producing different perceived effects.

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