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Comedian David Boyle reflects on how weed has shifted from mellow 90s highs to today’s ultra-strong strains, focusing on THC, CBD and rising paranoia. He shares his own experiences and research in a fast, humorous rant that questions what these changes mean for mental health and sobriety.
8:46•30 May 2026
From Chill to Schizophrenia Sticks: Boyle on the New Weed Madness
Episode Overview
- Weed has shifted from around 5–9% THC in the 90s to 30–35% THC in many modern strains.
- The traditional THC to CBD ratio has dropped from roughly 2:1 to about 25:1, with CBD often bred out.
- CBD acts like a balancing element, reducing some of the anxiety and psychotic effects triggered by THC.
- Old-school, lower-strength, soil-grown weed with healthier THC/CBD ratios is difficult to find due to low yields and poor profitability.
- Legal high-THC products may increase paranoia and mental health issues, especially for people already prone to addiction or anxiety.
“It can't be good to have bred out the CBD, which seems to be the thing that doesn't turn you insane, and then jacked up the part of the weed that turns you insane.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? Here, comedian David Boyle takes a sharp left turn from booze into the weed rabbit hole, using his trademark mix of blunt honesty and deadpan humour to unpack how much cannabis has changed since the 90s. Sparked by a sketch contrasting “90s weed” with today’s hyper-strong strains, Boyle starts comparing his early, chilled-out experiences with weed to the anxious mess it later turned him into.
From there, he goes full nerd in the funniest way possible, breaking down how “weed back in the day was like 6% THC… 9% is crazy good weed back in the 90s,” while today you’re looking at “30–35% THC.” He explains how the big shift isn’t just strength, but the ratio of THC to CBD.
He jokes about chasing strains like Harlequin, only to end up staring at hemp farms offering “no THC and just CBD and terpenes.” The tone stays light and funny, but beneath the jokes sits a clear message: messing with brain chemistry isn’t exactly harmless, especially for those of us with addictive histories who’ve already seen how quickly “fun” can turn into “I’m losing my mind.” Anyone curious about sobriety, weed culture, or how substances evolve over time will get a lot out of this fast, punchy mini-rant.
Old-school strains like Colombian and Afghani once sat around a 2:1 ratio, whereas now “you get this super strong THC weed and then you get almost no detectable CBD.” Boyle calls CBD “almost like an antipsychotic,” and wonders what the hell we’re doing ramping up the paranoia-inducing part and breeding out the calming bit. You’ll also hear him talk about terpenes, soil-grown “living” weed, and the sheer difficulty of finding a mellow, old-fashioned high.
Have you ever noticed how much stronger everything feels these days, or is it just Boyle?
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