Placing Too Much Value on THC Levels

Lucid Green was founded in early 2018 by data veterans Paul Botto and Larry Levy with a singular mission of building a standard for trust and transparency in the cannabis ecosystem. We have never wavered from this commitment as we continue to deliver valuable solutions for cannabis companies and consumers alike.

We want to make sure that consumers have great experiences with the cannabis products that carry LucidIDs. We work with leading cannabis brands that work passionately and tirelessly to deliver this to their cannabis consumers. They craft quality products and carry LucidIDs on their cannabis packaging to help enrich their consumers’ use with their products. 

When scanned, LucidIDs provide consumers with the independent lab test. And a consumer that understands the information provided from these tests will get the most out of the information displayed.

When most people look at cannabis lab test results, they are overly-fixated on the THC levels reported. Far too many people equate “higher THC with better cannabis.” It is also an error to think that the THC level will determine how high one gets.

“On June 10, 2020, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study analyzing the link between THC content and intoxication effects. 

The study analyzed the effects of THC on 121 participants. 55 subjects smoked flower with 16 to 24% THC, while 66 used concentrates ranging from 70 to 90% THC.

The researchers confirmed a massively higher amount of THC in the blood of concentrate users, yet the intoxication was barely different from those who consumed mid to high-THC flower.”

(Source)

Additionally, there are other factors that determine the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Considerations include other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the cannabis product and what is referred to as the entourage effect. 

… There are over 420 known compounds in cannabis, and all of these compounds can affect how a certain strain makes you feel.

To understand how cannabinoids such as THC work, you need to understand the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

When THC interacts with the ECS, it produces psychoactive effects. But there are many other cannabinoids within cannabis that also interact with your ECS. These cannabinoids provide various effects of their own, but they can also affect how THC interacts with your ECS.

So, now you know all about why more THC doesn’t always mean stronger effects. The THC content is certainly an important factor in how cannabis can make you feel, but there’s much more to cannabis than THC alone. Cannabis is an incredibly complex plant, with hundreds of elements that can vary from strain to strain. These elements all work together synergistically when you use cannabis, making each uniquely complex strain a uniquely complex experience.”

(Source)

Not all cannabis companies want consumers to know these nuances as they relate to THC. “Dr. Adie Rae, a neuroscientist at the Legacy Research Institute in Portland, Oregon, and scientific adviser to Weedmaps, pinpointed three more key indicators of weed quality: ethical cultivation, ethical companies, and diverse chemistry."  (Source)

Thus, some unethical companies and labs collaborate to deliver inflated THC levels in tests. Don Land, a professor of chemistry and forensics at the University of California, Davis, stated “THC inflation is pernicious, it’s easy to accomplish and there are strong financial incentives to do it. I believe that it is likely to happen at least infrequently in every market out there, and there’s very little chance that labs would get caught.” (Source)

It is worth noting that EVERY Lucid Green cannabis brand and lab partner operates at a high standard and ethicacy. We spoke to numerous brand and lab partners and ALL are committed to delivering highest quality products that carry accurate and unadulterated COAs. They ALL voiced concern of any corroborated THC inflation by others, even if small in number. It hurts the cannabis industry. It hurts the cannabis consumer. It detriments an industry as we look to make cannabis legal in all states and at a federal level.

And to reiterate what we stated in the beginning - Lucid Green’s mission is to build a standard for trust and transparency in the cannabis ecosystem.

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Sources:

https://www.thebluntness.com/posts/high-thc-weed

https://essencevegas.com/blog/does-more-thc-mean-stronger-effects/

https://weedmaps.com/learn/introduction/how-to-buy-cannabis

https://newsweed.com/thc-bud-buyers-beware/pro/