What Does the Percentage of THC Mean?

The percentage of THC refers to the amount of THC contained in your dry weight. This figure is directly correlated with milligrams per gram, so one gram of cannabis with 25% THC contains 250 milligrams of THC. With so many different varieties available to consumers, it can be difficult to understand what the different THC percentages mean for dried flowers. THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana, and the percentage of THC in a flower is indicative of the amount of THC it contains per gram.

THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is famous for being responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Therefore, many cannabis users assume that a strain with a higher percentage of THC will always be more potent and have stronger psychoactive effects. But does more THC really mean stronger effects? The same rule applies to any number. An herb with 25.5% THC indicates 255 milligrams of THC per gram.

All you have to do is take the percentage of THC, move the decimal one point to the right and now you'll know the total dose of THC per gram of dry herb. Unfortunately, this poses a problem for people who suffer from paranoia and avoid strains that are high in THC or flowers that are high in THC. On the contrary, this figure could be considered low for a concentrate, since THC levels can reach 60% or even higher, especially with cannabis extracts such as hashish butane (BHO) oil. Some people prefer to enjoy a flower with a high THC content, which makes them vibrate quickly, while others prefer varieties with a low THC content that allow them to better enjoy everything cannabis has to offer.

With flowers that are high in THC, more THC enters the bloodstream with each inhalation, making these effects appear faster and more ferociously. With that in mind, it's smart to use a strain that contains as much THC as possible, since it gives you more THC and consumes less plant matter. However, for an experienced cannabis user, 20% of THC may not produce many intoxicating effects, while only 10% of THC could extremely intoxicate a novice user. The amount of THC is undoubtedly an important factor in how cannabis can make you feel, but cannabis is much more than just THC.

Other cannabinoids may change, reduce or interfere with the absorption of THC. More than 25% THC would be classified as very high in THC, and extracts may contain 50% or even 90% THC. If we consider the unreliability of cannabis tests, the idea that marijuana today has more THC than it did several decades ago and the fears surrounding cannabis “high in THC” are unfounded. If you've tried varieties with a wide range of THC to CBD ratios, you've probably noticed that CBD tends to soften the effects of THC.

The way in which THC interacts synergistically with other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids in a phenomenon known as the “entourage effect” may be as important as the THC content of a flower. If THC is the compound in cannabis that causes you to get high, then logically speaking, the higher the percentage of THC, the more powerful the psychoactive effects of the flower will be.

Kelli Prellwitz
Kelli Prellwitz

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