How much CBD and THC is in your weed? Here’s how to find out

The potency of cannabis is determined by the levels of CBD and THC compounds in the plant. Therefore, it is normal to be curious about the exact amount of THC and CBD in a cannabis product before smoking.

Hundreds of new cannabis strains have been developed over the past decade, giving smokers a wide range of options to choose from. No two cannabis strains can offer exactly the same characteristics. The flavor and after-effects of each strain will differ from one another.

This has led to a departure from the normal cannabis culture practiced in the 70’s and 80’s. Back then, there were fewer cannabis strains and everyone had an idea of ​​the amount of THC and CBD they contained.

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Now levels of THC and CBD have increased and can be as high as 30% in a cannabis product, with extracts having very high levels of CBD or THC compounds.

Most experienced cannabis smokers have very little idea of ​​how much THC they are putting into their system – especially when these products are purchased from unlicensed stores.

Licensed pharmacies have the product data. Information such as the THC and CBD levels as well as the other compounds contained in the products can be provided by these pharmacies. Seed banks also offer this information to clients.

You must understand that while these numbers are provided by these stores, they are subject to change. The change can occur due to shelf life, or due to reactions between the compounds in the weed, etc.

Why you should test the THC and CBD levels in your weed

Testing your weed before use will help allay any concerns you may have about a lack of information about a particular weed product.

Cannabis growers tend to aim for high THC weed strains when creating a new strain, without giving much thought to the effects of these compounds once they enter the user’s body.

If you test your weed before consuming it, you’ll know;

  • what effects can be expected.
  • the right time to use it.
  • consuming the right dosage.
  • whether or not you as a grower should be maximizing cannabinoid levels.

THC and CBD tests

This can be done in three ways.

If you obtained a product from a licensed pharmacy, you can use the retailer’s approximate specifications. This is how you plug the numbers into a few equations to get the levels of THC and CBD compounds in weed.

If you live in a state with approved cannabis laws, you have access to records of hundreds of lab tested cannabis samples. Almost all cannabis products are labeled with approximate percentages of each cannabinoid compound, so far they are stocked by a licensed store.

Marijuana's Schedule I status prevents researchers from studying itPhoto by CasarsaGuru/Getty Images

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The second method is to grab a test kit and do the test in the privacy of your home.

The third is through third-party testing, which is a licensed laboratory.

Are home tests equal to third-party tests?

Sure, there’s nothing quite like third-party testing—they use expensive high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography equipment—but testing your weed at home is also a viable option.

Home tests are DIY methods to determine the exact potency of your weed before taking a few hits. Depending on how you follow the steps to test your weed at home, you can assess the amount of THC, CBD, and even other compounds like terpenes in weed.

How to test the THC and CBD levels of your weed at home

Cannabis users in most parts of the world do not have access to properly labeled products, nor do they have records of measured and tested weed samples to refer to. So you can’t always use the formula method to determine the content level. You can either send samples to a lab or do them yourself.

There are several options to choose from when testing your flowers at home. Some options cost more than the others but give you more detailed results. The cheaper options often lead to limiting results.

Color Chart Test Kits

These kits test for both THC and CBD. They can be used to test flowers, extracts and oils. These tests require only a tiny amount of material to determine content.

Mix a small sample of the grass with the test liquid. Mix well and when the solution changes color, compare the color to the colors on the chart to see where it falls.

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RELATED: The best CBD to THC ratio to look for in your cannabis products

The color chart test kit method is the cheapest method to use at home. Nor do they provide detailed results. Most charts only show readings for THC levels not exceeding 20% ​​and CBD levels less than 2.5%.

Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) test kits.

These kits provide more accurate readings. They can also be used to test for not only THC and CBD, but other minor cannabinoids such as CBN, CBG, and THCV.

Simply mix 0.1g of the weed sample with the test liquid. Using the pipette provided, stain the coated glass plate with small amounts of the mixture.

This is where the various cannabinoid compounds present are detected and separated. To find out what’s inside, color the jar with the dye. Then you can now compare it with the provided template.

test gadgets

This is the most expensive option that can be used to test CBD and THC levels at home. It is used by growers, breeders, and other weed smokers who are so keen on knowing the cannabinoid content of their weed.

It can determine the levels of THC, CBD and CBN. It can also detect the presence of different terpenes.

Conclusion

To save yourself the expense and hassle of conducting these tests yourself, you can rely on the information provided by the dealers. This gives you an idea of ​​what your weed contains.

Labs provide the most accurate and detailed information, while home testing kits will give you basic or detailed information about your weed, depending on the kit you purchased.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

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