By Erin Garrett and Katherine Stephens 
 
 University of Mississippi 
 
 When senior research scientist Suman Chandra first came to the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Natural Products Research in 2001, he had no idea that he would be involved in one of the most pivotal programs in the School of Pharmacy’s history. 
 
 Chandra, who has extensive training in medicinal plant physiology and biotechnology, carries out a variety of research activities dealing with cannabis as part of the Marijuana Project. 
 
 Funded by a competitive contract through the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the project is led by Mahmoud ElSohly, research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and professor of pharmaceutics. As part of the project, the NCNPR supplies high-quality marijuana and its constituents to the NIDA Drug Supply Program. The drug supply program then provides the marijuana to licensed researchers across the country. 
 
 “I’m very proud to work for the Marijuana Project,” Chandra said. “It is very well-known across the country, and I’m honored to work for Dr. ElSohly.” 
 
 A few of Chandra’s duties are indoor and outdoor cultivation of cannabis sativa that includes growing, harvesting and processing cannabis biomass under Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices compliance, as well as maintaining production records, supervising and training personnel, and supervising overall field activities. 
 
 Growing the standardized cannabis for NIDA is a lengthy process, Chandra said. 
 
 “The first step in the process is to do a genetic screening to find out if the plant is male or female, if grown from seeds,” he said. “Cannabis produces a unique class of terpenophenolic compounds called cannabinoids, and females have higher cannabinoids as compared to the male plants. The second step is to keep only female plants and look for the elite clones based on their chemical profile for further propagation.” 
 
 In 2014, Chandra was heavily involved in growing marijuana outdoors. He moved his office outside to keep perfect records, paperwork and inventory of the cannabis while bearing the Mississippi heat. 
 
 “It is extremely important that we keep good security and up-to-date inventory when we are growing,” he said. “We document everything we do and make sure that all the Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration requirements are met.” 
 
 The Marijuana Project is funded under award number HHSN271201500023C. 
 
 Originally from India, Chandra has a unique background. He received his basic education in the northern region of the Himalayas and went on to Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a Master of Philosophy and a doctorate in plant physiology. 
 
 While studying for his Ph.D., Chandra worked at the High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Center and G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. 
 
 Not only is Chandra dedicated to his work at Ole Miss, but also he is dedicated to his family. His wife, Hemant Lata, is also a senior research scientist at NCNPR. They have a daughter, Riddhi, who is 6, and a son, Rishi, 9. 
 
 “They definitely keep me busy,” Chandra said. “We love hiking outside, and I enjoy spending as much time as possible with them.” 

 Pot is becoming more potent, a new study suggests. 
 
 In the study, the researchers looked at more than 38,600 samples of illegal marijuana seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over 20 years. They found that the level of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol — marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient — in the marijuana samples rose from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014. 
 
 Conversely, the level of CBD, or cannabidiol — an ingredient sometimes touted for its potential health benefits — fell from about 0.28 percent in 2001 to less than 0.15 percent in 2014. 
 
 When the researchers looked at the ratio of THC to CBD, they found that marijuana in 1995 had a THC level that was 14 times its CBD level. But in 2014, the THC level was 80 times the CBD level. 
 
 "We can see that the ratio of THC to CBD has really, really increased and climbed so much higher," said lead study author Mahmoud A. ElSohly, a professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Mississippi. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana] 
 
 In the study, the researchers looked at nearly 39,000 samples of illegal cannabis. The vast majority of these were samples of cannabis plant material, but there were also samples of hashish, which is the resinous parts of cannabis plants mixed with some plant particles, and some samples of hash oil, which is a concentrated extract of cannabis in oil form. 
 
 The researchers also found that, among the cannabis plant material seized over the last four years of the study, there had been an increase in the samples of sinsemilla, which is a type of cannabis that is much more potent than other types of the drug, according to the study, published Jan. 19 in the journal Biological Psychiatry. 
 
 The increase in marijuana's potency may have some negative health consequences for marijuana users, especially young ones, ElSohly said. 
 
 When a person smokes marijuana with lower doses of THC, "it is a pleasant feeling; it is the munchies, the happiness," ElSohly told Live Science. But smoking marijuana with high doses of THC may involve a higher risk of negative health effects, such as psychosis or panic attacks, he said. 
 
 There are several likely factors behind the increase in marijuana potency in the illicit market, ElSohly said. For one, "the higher the THC content is, the more expensive the product," he said. Therefore, the ability to charge more for marijuana with high THC content is an incentive for cannabis growers to select for and grow those varieties of plants that have a high THC content. 
 
 Moreover, pot smokers often develop a tolerance for THC, which means that, over time, they need increasingly higher doses of THC to get high, ElSohly said. These people create a demand for more and more potent varieties of pot. 
 
 Previous research has also shown that the potency of marijuana, including the marijuana sold in states where its recreational use is now legal, has increased over the years. For example, in a study presented in March 2015 at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, researchers said they found that samples of marijuana in Colorado contained as much as 30 percent THC. In comparison, the levels of THC in marijuana 30 years ago were generally below 10 percent, the researchers said. 
 
 Follow Agata Blaszczak-Boxe on Twitter. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science. 

 Abstract 
 
 Background Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and all over the world. Reports indicate that the potency of cannabis preparation has been increasing. This report examines the concentration of cannabinoids in illicit cannabis products seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over the last 2 decades, with particular emphasis on Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. 
 
 Methods Samples in this report were received over time from materials confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and processed for analysis using a validated gas chromatography with flame ionization detector method. 
 
 Results Between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2014, 38,681 samples of cannabis preparations were received and analyzed. The data showed that although the number of marijuana samples seized over the last 4 years has declined, the number of sinsemilla samples has increased. Overall, the potency of illicit cannabis plant material has consistently increased over time since 1995 from ~4% in 1995 to ~12% in 2014. The cannabidiol content has decreased on average from ~.28% in 2001 to <.15% in 2014, resulting in a change in the ratio of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol to cannabidiol from 14 times in 1995 to ~80 times in 2014.
– Smoking marijuana just isn't the same today as it was 20 years ago—and not only because it's now legal in some states. A study in Biological Psychiatry finds marijuana potency is on the rise. Researchers analyzed some 38,600 samples of illegal marijuana—including plant material, hashish, and hash oil—seized by the DEA over the past 20 years, reports Live Science. Not only did samples of a really potent type of marijuana, known as sinsemilla, increase from 2010 to 2014, but researchers found the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in samples jumped from 4% in 1995 to 12% in 2014; an earlier study in Colorado found some samples contained up to 30% THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in weed. At the same time, the presence of cannabidiol (CBD)—which is believed to have possible health benefits—dropped so that the THC level grew from 14 times the amount of CBD in 1995-era marijuana to 80 times the amount in 2014. Lead author Mahmoud ElSohly—who helps supply high-quality marijuana to researchers through a program at Ole Miss, per the Oxford Eagle—says higher doses of THC bring a higher risk of negative health effects, including psychosis and panic attacks, while lower doses usually produce "a pleasant feeling." But why is more potent pot hitting the market? ElSohly explains marijuana users can develop a tolerance for THC so they need higher doses to get high. Growers can also charge more for pot with extra THC. (Potent pot may cause concussion-like effects.)