How to Read Cannabis Product Labels

• Cannabis product labels include lots of helpful information that can help patients choose formulas that will meet their needs.
• Keep an eye out for details regarding concentration, strain name or type, cannabinoid profile, dosing information, and the most popular applications for products.
• When shopping, you might find that some labels are missing information. You can often make inferences or talk to the budtender if you have questions about a product.

You’re headed to a cannabis dispensaries (or pharmacy, in Louisiana) for the first time. You might not be completely sure what to look for, especially if you’ve never used cannabis before (or if you’ve never purchased it legally).

How do you read cannabis product labels? What do all of the numbers mean? Is there an easier way to translate all of the data on a sticker?

This is the guide for you.

Below, we’ll break down details to look for on cannabis product labels and explore a few tips for dispensaries/pharmacy newcomers.

Details to Look for on a Cannabis Label

You saunter up to the counter at your local dispensaries, chat with the budtender, and they hand you a few products to look at. Which characteristics should you look for?

Concentration

Many product packages will display cannabinoid content in percentages. What do these mean?

• A cannabis flower label might say “THC 20%” or “CBD 12%.” In practice, this explains the total percentage (by weight) of a cannabinoid in a product.
• Let’s say you purchase an ounce (28 grams) of cannabis flower with 20% THC content. 20% of 28 grams equals 5.6 grams (or 5,600 milligrams). So, you’re purchasing 5,600 milligrams of THC if you buy this product.
• When it comes time to dose, this is important: If you roll a 0.5 gram joint with this product, smoking the entire joint will introduce around 100 mg of THC into your system.

Concentration is most important when you’re purchasing cannabis flower, vape products, tinctures and oils, or topicals.

Why don’t you need to know concentration if you’re buying edibles? Because they’re already precisely dosed to include a set weight of your chosen cannabinoid(s). Instead of a percentage, package labels for edibles typically list the total weight (in milligrams) of a cannabinoid in each serving.

Strain Name or Type

Along with concentration information, each product will likely list a strain name. A few examples you’re likely to encounter in a dispensaries/pharmacy include:

• Sour Diesel
• Blue Dream
• Girl Scout Cookies
• Pineapple Express

Each of the names above represents a strain of the cannabis plant: A unique subtype with one-of-a-kind chemical properties. Each strain features a unique array of:

• Cannabinoids
• Terpenes
• Flavonoids
• Other plant compounds

Strains fall into one of three categories:

• Sativa – Sativa strains are generally considered more stimulating than mellowing, but this isn’t true for every patient. Everyone responds to each strain in their own way.
• Indica – Indica strains typically produce more relaxing, peaceful effects. They can also induce drowsiness.
• Hybrid – Hybrid strains contain both indica and sativa genetic material, so they can offer a mix of stimulating and relaxing effects.

Finding the right strain can take time (and a few pointers from your budtender). Check out our complete strain guide to learn more.

Cannabinoid Profile

Whether they’re listed in percentages (to show concentration) or milligrams (to show weight), each label should contain an overview of the cannabinoids you’ll find in each product.

While there are more than 100 different cannabinoids found across strains of the cannabis plant, you’ll likely encounter just a few prevalent ones:

• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
• Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Cannabichromene (CBC)
• Cannabigerol (CBG)
• Cannabinol (CBN)

Cannabis profile information is very important—it can help you predict your response to a certain product or choose a formula that meets your preferences. For example, THC is the only intoxicating cannabinoid (in other words, it produces a psychoactive high). If you’re looking to avoid this high, you’ll need to choose products with no (or negligible) THC content.

Dosing Information

Many cannabis product labels include dosing information. There are two key elements to look for here:

• Volume of product
• Volume of cannabinoid

For instance, a vape cartridge label may say, “0.5 mg THC per puff.” An edible package may say, “10 mg THC per chew.” A tincture or oil solution may say, “0.1 mg THC per drop.” All of these dosage descriptions are designed to tell customers how much of a cannabinoid they can find in a specific volume of product.

Again, these can be helpful for people looking to administer highly specific doses. Using the hypotheticals above, a patient looking to ingest 10 mg of THC would have to take the following doses to introduce their desired volume of THC:

• 20 puffs from a vape cartridge
• One edible chew
• 100 drops of a tincture or oil solution

Applications

Even if a cannabis product label lists the strain name, cannabinoid profile, and other information, you might not have the experience to know how to use a specific product yet. Luckily, many product labels include information about potential applications.

Keep an eye out for details on:

• Timing – Products may be labeled for daytime, nighttime, or midday use. You can make some inferences based on these recommendations: Nighttime strains might be more mellowing, daytime strains might be stimulating, and midday strains could offer a balanced experience.
• Activity – Some product labels include recommended activities for the formula in question. Package labels may dictate that a product is compatible with sleeping, working, creating art, exercising, or relaxing.
• Administration – Like some medication labels, cannabis product labels may include instructions for how to administer a dose. For instance, a label may instruct you to take a dose with food or water to ensure optimal results.

Reading a Cannabis Label: Tips and Tricks

In short, cannabis product labels can be gold mines of information—as long as you know how to interpret this information. But the learning curve for newcomers can be a little steep. Here are a few tips for navigating the wide world of cannabis products as you get accustomed to dispensaries offers.

Ask the Experts

We know what you’re thinking: “Milligrams, grams, ounces, percentages—how do I get all of these numbers straight?” There are a few ways to refine your product search and reduce demands on your fast math skills:

• Talk to the budtender – The pro working behind the counter at your dispensaries/pharmacy can help you choose a product and recommend a starter dose. While you should still study the label to get more comfortable with medical cannabis information, the budtender can help you refine your experience and start small.
• Talk to your healthcare provider – The healthcare provider who wrote your medical cannabis recommendation can also help you refine your dose. While they’re not as well-versed as budtenders in product selection, they may know of a few brands or formulas and their dosing information.
• Talk to other patients – The cannabis community is (and always has been) a welcoming environment for newcomers. Don’t be afraid to ask fellow patients for help with dosing—they have more experience deciphering labels.

Simply put, you have multiple resources at your disposal.

Making Inferences When Information is Missing

We touched on making inferences about effects based on recommended activities on a product label—a formula that touts sleep support will likely induce drowsiness instead of stimulating you, for instance.

If you’re still learning to decipher labels, you can make other inferences on:

• Dose – As a newcomer, you might not know the ideal dose (in milligrams) of your desired cannabinoid yet. Generally speaking, you should start small—so, look for products with low doses of a cannabinoid per unit of a product. For instance, a budtender might recommend two tinctures: one formula contains 0.25 mg per drop while the other contains 0.50 mg per drop. The first product is less concentrated, making it easier to achieve a low starter dose.
• Application – A product might list a strain without recommending what that strain can treat (or which activities it pairs well with). However, you can use some basic strain knowledge (indicas are relaxing, sativas are stimulating, and hybrids offer a mix) to infer the effects a product will produce. If you’re looking for a sleep support formula, consider looking for “indica” on product labels.

As you experiment with products and learn more about cannabis, making these inferences will only get easier.

Start Your Medical Cannabis Journey with TeleLeaf

Reading cannabis product labels can be challenging for newcomers. Don’t forget to lean on your resources as you navigate dispensaries wares—like medical marijuana healthcare providers.

If you’re looking for a supportive, empathetic, and expert provider who can recommend medical cannabis treatment (and answer any questions that come up throughout your journey), turn to TeleLeaf. We’re a network of licensed healthcare providers passionate about connecting patients to cannabis care.

Schedule an appointment today to get started.

Sources:

SunMed Growers. When Is THC Potency Considered “High”?.
https://www.sunmedgrowers.com/

Healthline. Beginner’s Guide to Marijuana Strains.
https://www.healthline.com/

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need to Know.
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know