This is a strange story, but it speaks to the difference in today's pot.
A few years ago I had a really bad problem with my sciatic nerve. It hurt to just walk, and it was on my right side.
My cousin, who goes to Colorado often, bought some weed and told me to take a hit off this stuff he had - said it was really powerful. We had ONE hit. I swear - I could not feel my leg. The high was intense and the only thing that kept me from freaking out was knowing it would wear off after a while.
I have had no desire to use it since. (it used to make me paranoid, even with the weak stuff we used back then)