How To Read Cannabis Edibles Labels?
Maine Medical Marijuana Preroll Label
Have you ever had an amazing experience with a cannabis product that you’re looking to recreate? Or are you having trouble finding the dose that provides you with the effects you’re looking for? Cannabis labels are a vital tool for understanding the product you’re purchasing and how you’d want to consume it for maximum benefits.
A thorough comprehension of how to read a cannabis label allows you to pick the product best suited for you and dose the product appropriately for your desired effects. Cannabis labels are regulated to inform the consumer and prevent accidental misuse of a THC product resulting in temporary but potentially unpleasant effects.
Maine Medical Marijuana Flower Label
Every state has unique and specific requirements for what a cannabis label must include to be compliant, set by state law. In the state of Maine this would include:
- The license number of the cultivator and manufacturer
- Universal symbol for THC product
- Health and safety warning
- Unique batch number
- Net weight
- Recommended instructions for usage
- List of ingredients
-Total amount of THC or cannabinoids and THC or cannabinoids per individual serving.
Maine Medical Marijuana Edible label
A distinct clarification on the label stating that it’s an infused product containing THC and not for the consumption of children is required and of utmost importance. Mandatory child-resistant packaging assures added levels of safety as well. Here at Maine Cannabis Exchange’s medical location, you may notice that we’ll put certain products in a childproof bag if the package itself isn’t already child-resistant and tamper-evident. Compliant tamper-evident and child-resistant packaging often include push-and-turn jars, heat-sealed packages, or opaque packaging.
There are many key aspects to a cannabis label from both a compliance and a consumer standpoint, in particular, ingredient lists clarifying potential allergens and the amount of THC in a product as well as per serving. Having complete knowledge of ingredients is particularly relevant for those with allergies. We always want our customers at Maine Cannabis Exchange to feel confident about any product purchased from us. If you ever have concerns regarding allergens feel free to ask your Budtender and they’ll happily relay the list of ingredients. We like to provide gluten-free and vegan options to assure those with allergies or dietary restrictions have a plethora of choices outside of tinctures and capsules.
Dose and concentration
An essential element of having a successful experience with cannabis is consuming the correct dose. Cannabis is considered biphasic, meaning even with the same product, you may experience very different effects depending on the dose. Finding your therapeutic window in which you have maximum benefits with the fewest adverse effects is a matter of finding your ideal dose.
Unlike cannabis flower and concentrates, which are measured in potency by the percentage of THC, THC edibles, topicals, and tinctures are dosed by the concentration of milligrams of THC. Understanding how many milligrams are in your edible and per serving is vital for having a comfortable and therapeutic experience. An appropriate starting dose for a new user is considered to be 1-2.5mg of THC, but every individual is different. It’s always best to start low and slow initially. When first trying cannabis it is pertinent to track your dose by writing it down, which allows you to be mindful of what feels too low or too high. Your tolerance may change with time which could require an adjustment to recreate the initial effects felt. Tuning into what feels pleasant or relieving is the best practice to enjoy and benefit from cannabis products. When you’ve established what an appropriate dose feels like, it is still recommended to start slightly lower when trying a new product, as one’s body may receive it differently depending on such things as the cannabis extraction method and other ingredients or compounds present. You should easily be able to find the concentration of milligrams of THC in both an entire edible and single serving on the label. If ever unsure of the dose per serving, always consult your budtender.
Some key factors to notice when reading a cannabis edible label or concentrate is the method in which it’s been extracted. You may notice in the list of ingredients, terms like “cannabis distillate”, “full spectrum CO2 cannabis extract” or “hash rosin”. There are many methods in which to extract cannabis for an edible or concentrate. Paying close attention to that can allow you to dial in on the products you may prefer. Individuals may find differing effects from different extractions, even at identical milligram doses. It can be helpful to try several varieties of products at similar doses and notice if you prefer the effects of one over the other. This knowledge allows you to be more likely to repeat positive experiences while establishing a personal baseline for the potential effects of a product.
Maine Medical Marijuana tincture label
Medical vs Recreational label requirements.
Recreational cannabis in the state of Maine requires mandatory testing. You'll notice on the package that you can see the cannabinoid test for each unique batch. In the instance of products like cannabis flower, this test allows you to know the percentage of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. This test can provide information that may influence your choices when purchasing. They also require mandatory testing for chemicals, harmful microbes, mildew, mold, and residual solvents. All products on the Recreational market must pass the statutory guidelines for each of these tests before they can be sold. On the TCA (Total Active Cannabinoids) label, you’ll notice that the THC, CBD, and minor cannabinoids will be listed as THCA, CBDA, etc, which refers to the raw acidic cannabinoids in the plant prior to adding heat before smoking or vaping.
Maine’s medical cannabis will not always have cannabinoid tests available as testing in the medical program is not yet required. Our budtenders are always happy to provide information on estimated percentages of cannabinoids to assist and guide you in your decisions. Cannabis lineage and anecdotal knowledge can be helpful for understanding why you would choose one option over the other depending on tolerance and potential desired effects.
What else can be found on my cannabis label?
The vendor, caregiver, or manufacturer of the product you purchase will also be noted on the label. This can be a great way to get to know some of your favorite brands and allow you to notice if you might find a common thread in a particular vendor's products you prefer over others. With the abundance of talented, seasoned growers and manufacturers in Maine, knowing where the product came from is a great way to give credit where it’s due. Many companies have a website to get to know their ethos or methods better and feel free to ask our budtenders for additional information regarding your favorite brand.
When it comes to flower, you’ll see the strain-specific varietal you’re purchasing on the label, which is another helpful way to start tracking your preferences for strain lineages. As a cannabis consumer, you’ll likely notice that the flower you love isn’t always available. Knowing the lineage or strains you often respond well to, can be useful when finding something in similar proximity to a favorite when it’s unavailable. While the same strain can often deviate in profile between growers and batches, for many it’s a helpful cue when trying something new. With so many new hybrids always being bred and grown, it’s beneficial knowledge to be able to relate something new to something you may have already tried.
How do I use this information?
The most comfortable way to learn what works best for you is by starting slow, tracking your progress, and keeping a record of what does and doesn’t work for you. Looking at milligram dose or percentage of cannabinoids will be helpful data when working to fine-tune the effects you’re looking for. The dose that has the potential to be sleep-promoting, relaxing, or shift the perception of pain will look different for each individual. Understanding what dosage you would choose to use for less impairing effects vs. for sedative evening effects opens up versatility and possibilities with cannabis use. Starting a low THC regimen with the inclusion of a higher ratio of CBD is a great way to provide a more directional balanced effect. It has been found that higher levels of CBD to THC can mitigate some of the intensity, psychoactivity, or less desirable effects of THC. If starting at a low dose you find no noticeable effects or benefits, slowly increase the dose over a few days by 1mg-2.5mg.
Much of what leads to success as a cannabis consumer is self-knowledge and tuning into oneself. As an industry and business, we aim to provide as much helpful product information to aid in that discovery. Whether you have previous experience or are just starting on your cannabis journey, we’re always here to provide information about products and help guide you to what is best suited for you.
Office of Cannabis Policy Department of Administrative and Financial Services Adult Use Cannabis Program. Augusta, Maine. (2022)
2.https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/28-B/title28-Bsec701.html
Office of Cannabis Policy Department of Administrative and Financial Services.Title 28-B: ADULT USE CANNABIS Chapter 1: CANNABIS LEGALIZATION ACT
Augusta, Maine. (2022)
3.https://www.maine.gov/dafs/ocp/resources/guidance-documents/mandatory-testing
Office of Cannabis Policy Department of Administrative and Financial Services. Required Analyte Types for Mandatory Testing. Augusta, Maine. (2022)
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797438/
National Library of Medicine. Does Cannabidiol Protect Against Adverse Psychological Effects of THC? Bethesda, Maryland. (2013)
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8252988/
National Library of Medicine. Consensus recommendations on dosing and administration of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain: results of a modified Delphi process. Bethesda, Maryland. (2021)
6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3473327/
National Library of Medicine. Biphasic Effects of Cannabinoids in Anxiety Responses: CB1 and GABAB Receptors in the Balance of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Neurotransmission. Bethesda, Maryland. (2012)
