Choosing Cannabis Products
Potency of Cannabis 2.0 Products
As with any form of cannabis, there are many factors to consider when consuming extracts, edibles, topicals and concentrates, including their potency. Here’s what you need to know.
With new products, come new questions. And “What’s the potency?” is a great one to start with. If it’s your first time trying these products, there can be a lot to learn. Read on to learn the max amount of THC and CBD that can legally be included within edibles, extracts, concentrates and topicals, and the key differences between legal and illegal cannabis.
How much THC and CBD are in edibles, extracts, concentrates and topicals?
That depends on the product. Each product may have different amounts of THC and CBD. Check the descriptions on OCS.ca and the product labels carefully before consuming. Learn more about the potential effects of cannabis.
With these cannabis products, there are limits set by the federal Cannabis Act for how much THC can be in cannabis products.
Edibles
Including soft chews, chocolate, cookies, beverages, tea bags and more
Each package of edibles may contain a maximum of 10 mg of THC. There is no limit to how much CBD can be in edibles. The amount of THC in each piece depends on how many pieces are in a package.
Extracts and Concentrates
Including vape cartridges, disposable vape pens, hash, resin and more
Extracts and concentrates may contain a maximum of 1,000 mg of THC per package. There is no limit to how much CBD can be in these products.
Topicals
Including creams, lotions, face washes, bath bombs and more
Topicals may contain a maximum of 1,000 mg of THC per package. There is no limit to how much CBD can be in topicals.
What’s the difference between the potency of these products and what’s being sold on the illegal market?
With legal edibles, extracts, concentrates and topicals sold on OCS.ca or at an Authorized Cannabis Store, you can trust that the amount of THC and CBD displayed on the product package is correct. All legal products go through rigorous testing, ensuring that the potency values are accurate and validated. If you’ve consumed cannabis products sold on illegal channels, there’s no way to know for sure how much THC or CBD was in them — which could make for an unpleasant experience.
As always, when trying new cannabis products for the first time, start low and go slow.
Another benefit of buying legal edibles, extracts, concentrates and topicals is that Health Canada’s quality assurance processes ensure that the same amount of THC or CBD is in each serving of a product. This means that in a 10 mg chocolate bar, with multiple pieces, you can expect a uniform amount of THC or CBD in each piece.
How do I know how much to take?
Every body is different. And with edibles, there are a lot of factors that influence how your body processes THC, like what you ate that day. We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: start low and go slow. Remember, it can take up to four hours for an edible to produce effects.
Based on how much you have smoked or vaped in the past, it’s not entirely possible to figure out how cannabis will affect you when you ingest it. Ingesting cannabis may affect you very differently than smoking of vaping — so remember to start low and go slow.
Have more questions about potency?
Learn more about the potency of edibles, the potency of topicals and the potency of concentrates.
