THC %

So I was hoping for someone to lay some knowledge on me with regards to the significance of listed THC percentage of dispensary product. I have been in a couple of dispensaries lately that didn't clearly post the percentage on the menu and I asked to see them or asked what strains they had with the highest percentages and they said something like "don't pay all that much attention to the percentage. Its not going to tell you how stoned you will get." That doesn't make any sense to me. I can understand that it wouldn't necessarily indicate the type of high and that there are other factors that could determine whether you like the strain or not such as flavor and smoothness. I also get that they only test something like a gram per pound and that its not going to be uniform throughout but is THC % really not a reliable indication of straight up potency?

Interesting question. I live and grow where testing would be impossible but of course I have my "pick of the litter" clones I keep. I have read posts about terpenes etc. but have no knowledge. I'll be watching!

Id have to say that higher THC % means the more stoned for sure. Think thats why its listed as potency test.

At this point in the game Id be wary of getting bud from a place that doesnt test. It means they're cheap and dont have much faith in the products they're selling. Or maybe they do test but only buy weak poorly grown mid grade and are embarrassed to post the low thc % next to their "top shelf" .

BustinScales510 said:

At this point in the game Id be wary of getting bud from a place that doesnt test. It means they're cheap and dont have much faith in the products they're selling. Or maybe they do test but only buy weak poorly grown mid grade and are embarrassed to post the low thc % next to their "top shelf" .

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I concur

a mongo frog said:

Id have to say that higher THC % means the more stoned for sure. Think thats why its listed as potency test.

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BustinScales510 said:

At this point in the game Id be wary of getting bud from a place that doesnt test. It means they're cheap and dont have much faith in the products they're selling. Or maybe they do test but only buy weak poorly grown mid grade and are embarrassed to post the low thc % next to their "top shelf" .

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Sounds like I was correct in understanding this to be an asinine argument. There's so many shops in Portland now I guess some are bound to be shitty. Somewhat frequently I'll drop into one that looks interesting and I have to say it's surprising how bad the quality at a lot of them is - shit smells like grass clippings, stemmy, $50 a slice for 15% thc, etc. The other thing that trips me out is how well reviewed some of the bullshit ones are on apps like Leafly. Lame. Should probably just stick to the street and the couple I know have some nice tree if I need to buy. Guess it's just all the more reason to grow your own!

THC % is just a selling point. Some people fall for it, others who have been smoking since the 70s know its just a bullshit number. There are more cannabanoids than we have even discovered yet. To put all your eggs into one basket is foolish. THC is only one small part of a plant.

If THC was the be all end all, we would all just smoke concentrates with super high THC percents. But I don't like concentrates at all, it is much too ONE-DIMENSIONAL.

I only use the numbers as a guideline, not the sole deciding factor. If it's 12 % or above, looks and smells nice, I'll try it. I've had buds listed as 18 % thc, that didn't get me as high as buds listed as 12 or 14 %. All the cannabinoids and terpenes and their porportions make a lot of difference. I try to smoke at least 2 new strains a month, and ignore what the descriptions say. Sometimes they're way off on those descriptions.

What's great for you, might not be for me. My personal favs GH's Cheese, ISP's IC91, TGA's Cheese Quake, Bodhi's Tigers Milk, Sunshine Daydream, and White Lotus. All great in my opinion, but you might not like any of these.

OneStonedPony said:

I only use the numbers as a guideline, not the sole deciding factor. If it's 12 % or above, looks and smells nice, I'll try it. I've had buds listed as 18 % thc, that didn't get me as high as buds listed as 12 or 14 %. All the cannabinoids and terpenes and their porportions make a lot of difference. I try to smoke at least 2 new strains a month, and ignore what the descriptions say. Sometimes they're way off on those descriptions.

What's great for you, might not be for me. My personal favs GH's Cheese, ISP's IC91, TGA's Cheese Quake, Bodhi's Tigers Milk, Sunshine Daydream, and White Lotus. All great in my opinion, but you might not like any of these.

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I did hear something about that too. The CBD numbers have something to do about paranoia. I think the higher they are, the less paranoid you are.

THC% is a potency test. Isn't terpenes the smell?

a mongo frog said:

THC% is a potency test. Isn't terpenes the smell?

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Terpenes are fragrant oils that give cannabis its aromatic diversity. They’re what give Blueberry its signature berry smell, Sour Diesel its funky fuel flavor, and Lavender its sweet floral aroma. These oils are secreted in the flower’s sticky resin glands, the same ones that produce THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Terpenes are by no means unique to cannabis; they can be found in many other herbs, fruits, and plants as well.

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/infographic-what-are-cannabis-terpenes-and-how-do-they-affect-you

althor said:

THC % is just a selling point. Some people fall for it, others who have been smoking since the 70s know its just a bullshit number. There are more cannabanoids than we have even discovered yet. To put all your eggs into one basket is foolish. THC is only one small part of a plant.

If THC was the be all end all, we would all just smoke concentrates with super high THC percents. But I don't like concentrates at all, it is much too ONE-DIMENSIONAL.

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OneStonedPony said:

I only use the numbers as a guideline, not the sole deciding factor. If it's 12 % or above, looks and smells nice, I'll try it. I've had buds listed as 18 % thc, that didn't get me as high as buds listed as 12 or 14 %. All the cannabinoids and terpenes and their porportions make a lot of difference. I try to smoke at least 2 new strains a month, and ignore what the descriptions say. Sometimes they're way off on those descriptions.

What's great for you, might not be for me. My personal favs GH's Cheese, ISP's IC91, TGA's Cheese Quake, Bodhi's Tigers Milk, Sunshine Daydream, and White Lotus. All great in my opinion, but you might not like any of these.

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For sure, I understand that it isn't the be all and end all, just a data point. It's interesting to see varying opinions on how much weight it carries. It didn't make sense to me to disregard it entirely.

althor said:

THC % is just a selling point. Some people fall for it, others who have been smoking since the 70s know its just a bullshit number. There are more cannabanoids than we have even discovered yet. To put all your eggs into one basket is foolish. THC is only one small part of a plant.

If THC was the be all end all, we would all just smoke concentrates with super high THC percents. But I don't like concentrates at all, it is much too ONE-DIMENSIONAL.

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I agree, I've smoked MANY strains with thc % in the high20s and low 30s, and they disappointed me every time.
I get higher off my bluedream, madberry, and multiple other strains I have, and i'm fairly certain my strains aren;t anywhere near the high 20s or low 30s.
The bluedream cuts right through it.
it's the cocktail of the cannabinoids, not just the thc

i dont pay no attention to thc, ill smoke how ever much it takes me to get where i want to be .lol... thats why i go for taste & smell.

coonhound said:

i dont pay no attention to thc, ill smoke how ever much it takes me to get where i want to be .lol... thats why i go for taste & smell.

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me too.
My strains are all about taste first, and potency second.
All I gotta do is find my skunk strain, and my cheese strain.
I got all the others

Idk about you guys but durban poison gets me higher than blue dream. Og kush gets me higher than white widdow ect... Its the combination of 7-10 different substances (depending on the genetic nature of substances) in different ratio's that change the high.

The most likely reason the shops arent getting the weed tested is the price of the testing. Its around a hundred dollars to get a strain tested for thc. In some shops the grower or supplier pays half and the shop pays half. In other stores its all on the supplier. But thc tests are not required, only mold and mildew tests. If the grower doesnt get thc tested usually the shop wont either since its a gypsy industry and itll be new weed next week anyway. If they have 20 strains availible, thats 2000 dollars worth of testing they have to do. Its all about the benjamins.

I agree with greasemonkey, Taste and then THC......everyone's different and how they tolerate the buzz. Just like alcohol, your bodies ability to use it is different form person to person. I have had some old timer 10-12% THC that just blasted me..

Terpenes act as modulators for the THC. @althor hit the nail on the head.

The guy at the dispensary was right.

Alienwidow said:

The most likely reason the shops arent getting the weed tested is the price of the testing. Its around a hundred dollars to get a strain tested for thc. In some shops the grower or supplier pays half and the shop pays half. In other stores its all on the supplier. But thc tests are not required, only mold and mildew tests. If the grower doesnt get thc tested usually the shop wont either since its a gypsy industry and itll be new weed next week anyway. If they have 20 strains availible, thats 2000 dollars worth of testing they have to do. Its all about the benjamins.

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They all get them tested. I think it might be required. It's just a matter of whether or not they display them clearly.