How to read a marijuana or CBD product label

Four numbers matter most: THC per serving, CBD per serving, servings per container, and net weight. The rest of the label tells you what those numbers apply to and how to verify them.

What Do Cannabis Warning Labels Mean?

In the US, two labeling systems exist. State-licensed cannabis and hemp-derived CBD follow different rules. Labels are not interchangeable.

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State cannabis labels versus hemp CBD labels

State cannabis programs set their own label requirements. Washington, Colorado, and other states require THC content in milligrams per serving and per package, a batch or lot number, a test date, and a state license number.

what does thc percentage mean on a cannabis label

Hemp products sold under the 2018 Farm Bill must keep delta-9 THC at or below 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Federal law does not require a potency panel on a CBD label. A product can show the word CBD with no milligram amount and still be legal to sell.

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  • State cannabis: potency per serving and per package, batch number, test date, warnings, license number.
  • Hemp CBD: often only total CBD mg per container, a QR code, and a batch number if the seller added one.

Serving size and total milligrams

A gummy label may read "10 mg THC per piece, 10 pieces per package." Total THC in the package is 100 mg. A tincture may list "1 mg CBD per drop, 30 mL bottle." Dose depends on drops per mL, so check the dropper markings.

If the label gives milligrams per container only, divide by the number of pieces or doses.

THC terms

  • Delta-9 THC: the form that produces intoxication.
  • THCA: the acid form. Heat converts it to delta-9 THC. Total THC = delta-9 THC + (THCA x 0.877).
  • Total THC: the number that predicts effect. Some labels print only delta-9 THC, which understates potency in smoked or vaped flower.

CBD terms

  • CBD isolate: cannabidiol alone.
  • Full spectrum: CBD plus other cannabinoids, terpenes, and up to 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight.
  • Broad spectrum: other cannabinoids with THC removed or reduced below detection.
  • Hemp seed oil: pressed seed oil. It contains little to no CBD. It is not the same as hemp extract.

Batch number and certificate of analysis

A batch or lot number links the package to a lab report, often called a COA (certificate of analysis). Read the report for four items: cannabinoid potency, test date, lab name, and results for pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and microbials.

A QR code that opens a batch-specific result page is stronger than a generic PDF. If the batch number on the report does not match the package, the report does not apply to that package.

Remaining label items

  • Extraction solvent: CO2, ethanol, or hydrocarbon.
  • Carrier: MCT oil, hemp seed oil, olive oil, glycerin.
  • Added terpenes or flavoring.
  • Allergen statement.
  • Expiration or best-by date.
  • Storage instructions.
  • State license number for cannabis products.
  • FDA disclaimer on CBD supplements.

Red flags

  • No batch or lot number.
  • No lab name or test date.
  • "Proprietary blend" with no milligram amounts.
  • THC content not stated.
  • "Lab tested" claim with no accessible report.

One limit: FDA has not approved CBD as a dietary supplement ingredient, so CBD labels carry no federal potency guarantee.