Does THC Percentage Matter? 

Yeah.

I mean, it should.

But really, no.

Depends on who you ask, too.

Like the ABV concentration in an alcoholic beverage, THC percentage is supposed to be an indicator of potency.  The basic science should check out.  More THC equals more high, right?

It is much, much more nuanced than that.  

First, let’s talk about the potentially false or exaggerated claims

All plants contain some common molecules that make up its structure and natural properties.  Plants all have lots of water molecules - 80 to 90% of its total weight.  We cure our cannabis so wet water weight isn’t a factor in its dry weight; some hydrogen absorbed from the water does remain however.

Plants also have cellulose that gives it its structure (cell walls, rigidity, leafy structures, stems, etc), chloroplasts that gives it the green color and converts sunlight to energy, starches to store energy, DNA, RNA, terpenes, proteins, and minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.  

Can we believe the claims of 40+ percent potency?  Do you mean to tell me this flower bud is composed of FORTY PERCENT THC molecules?  So the other molecules we just mentioned that make up the physical structure of the plant, as well as the other cannabinoids (we’ve identified over 100, including CBD) and everything else in the plant equals just over half the dry weight while the rest is ALL THC?

Get TF outta here!

No, no natural plant can survive being 40+% of THC.  

We also need to discuss testing methods

Did you know that all labels in Michigan have a disclaimer that the stated THC can vary by 10%?  This shouldn’t come as a vote of confidence in THC testing methods.

Further, cannabis is grown in large batches of individual plants.  The cultivators send the best samples of the bunch to get tested.  In this way, they are able to skew the results in their favor.  

Alcohol is also a living substance, but it is created in large, continuous batches.  It is so highly processed that you can reliably test a small portion of the batch to determine the potency of the entire batch, and you can recreate the results through processing.

Live plants are another matter completely.  Each individual plant in the batch will grow slightly different, just as mammals like us do.  Each will be slightly different, inwardly and outwardly.  Undoubtedly, each will contain a different THC concentration.  So in a grow room with 1,000 plants, how reliably does the THC result of the one hand-picked test plant represent the average potency of the entire grow?  

It doesn’t.

Look at the chart above ^.  In 2022 the average potency of cannabis seized and tested by the feds was less than 20%.  That's real data of unadulterated, not-cherry-picked samples nationwide.  That tells you what you need to know.

Now Let Talk Terpenes

Arguably much more important to the ‘high’ we feel after consuming THC is the terpene profile of the individual plant.  Every plant - palm trees, orange trees, grass, cannabis - embodies certain terpenes that give it its specific characteristics and aromas.  Lavender smells like lavender because of linalool, lemons smell like citrus because of limonene, so on.  These ‘terps’ have been shown to have a relationship with how we perceive the ‘high’ feeling.  Certain terpenes produce different responses in our brains.  We have a whole blog of terpenes - check it out here.

There are dozens of different terps.  No, you aren’t expected to know every single one of them when you browse your local dispo.  However, if you find yourself drawn to the feeling of a particular high, check the primary terpenes in that strain and then look for commonality among your favorite strains.  You may find they share a common terpene.  

Another way to judge the terpenes is to look at the total terpene percentage on the label or the COA.  A good rule of thumb is to look for that percentage to be above 2.0%.  Personally, I’d take a 20% THC Flower with 3% total terps over a 27% THC strain with 1.5% terps.

I hope this article helped answer your question on whether THC percentages matter.  They should, but for now they really don’t help much.

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