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What THC % means, and when a flower number is too high

The THC % on a menu is how much of the flower's weight is THC. Most eighths in Massachusetts list 19.7 to 30.7%. Above 35% almost never happens, so we flag it.

Numbers from store menus, as of Oct 7, 8:45 PM ET, before tax

What the number is

On flower, THC % is the share of the dried bud's weight that is THC. A 3.5 g eighth at 25% holds about 0.9 g of THC. Most of it sits in the plant as THCA, which turns into THC when you heat it. A good label counts that, so "total THC" is roughly THCA × 0.877 plus the THC already there.

It is a number the store or the lab gives you. It is not something GLASS measured. We read what menus list and compare it with similar products.

What is normal

Massachusetts flower, eighths, as of today

Middle 80%: 19.7% to 30.7%. Median: 25.6%. Top 1% starts at 35%. Based on 8,695 different eighths.

So 20 to 30% is ordinary flower. Not weak, not special. Vapes and concentrates run 60 to 90% because they are extracts, and that is fine for them. Do not compare a 28% bud with an 80% cart.

Why 35%+ flower is suspicious

Over 35% on flower is a red flag.

Real flower rarely tests above the mid-30s. When a menu lists 36%, 40% or 55% for an eighth, one of these is usually going on:

  • Wrong field. The store listed total cannabinoids, or THCA instead of total THC.
  • Wrong product. A concentrate, or a pre-roll dipped in oil, filed under flower.
  • A typo. It happens on menus with thousands of items.
  • Lab shopping or a stretched test. Less common, and we cannot tell from a menu. We say what is listed, not why.

GLASS puts "Unusually high" on those, and shows the numbers behind each flag. A flag is not an accusation. It means the number does not line up with the rest of the market.

A higher number is not a better deal

  • Past about 25%, a bigger number does not tell you how it will feel. That depends on the strain, the terpenes, how fresh it is and how much you have used before.
  • If you are new, pick something in the normal range and go slow. More is easy to add and impossible to take back.
  • Compare price per mg of THC only between products that are not flagged. GLASS leaves flagged ones out of its value picks.

How to use this

  1. Ask for the lab test or the total THC, not just the headline number.
  2. If a menu shows 35%+ on flower, check the product page here for the proof, or ask the store.
  3. Compare price too. Cheap eighths in Massachusetts start around $15.99. See what a fair price is.

See how the truth check works

Keep reading
All guides
Fair price for an eighthThe low, typical and high price in each state, from the menus we read today.Preroll vs cart vs flowerHow each one works, how strong it is, and what it costs per gram.Is this store licensed?Two minutes, one state list, and what to look for at the door.First visitWhat to bring, what to ask, and how not to overbuy.
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