After the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the CBD industry has experienced a massive influx of entrepreneurs and the arrival of new products almost everyday. There are a wide range of CBD products in the market with a variety of different cannabinoids and terpenes that affect the taste, color, aroma, and benefits of the particular CBD product. THC is the other important cannabinoid that has played an important role in establishing the popularity of cannabis plants. THC is one of the 120 cannabinoids identified in the cannabis plants. THC is the main psychoactive compound and the term nd thc is used to refer to CBD products that contain non detectable THC. CBD products that contain 0.3% THC concentration are considered as THC free.
You might already be familiar with THC especially if you have a history with cannabis and medical marijuana. Depending on one’s interest and different state laws, an array of hemp derived CBD products are produced with the intention of containing THC.
It can be confusing to the consumers when it comes to the different ways THC is identified on the product labels. Some of the most common label identification are THC free and ND THC or non detectable THC. What does THC free and ND THC mean? Before we embark on that let’s know a little bit more about THC.
THC
Unlike CBD, THC is a psychoactive compound that may create euphoric effects in those who take it. THC is well known for its many benefits and experiences such as:
- Increased Appetite
- Discomfort Relief
- Sleep
- Reduced Anxiety
- Feeling of Euphoria
- Muscle Relaxation
Many consumers prefer the CBD products that contain less than 0.3% THC to avoid the “high” feeling and the chances of failing the drug tests. Since THC can still be found in hemp plant, there can be different amounts of THC in different CBD products. Those who want to take the benefits of CBD products avoiding the high that contain less than 0.3% THC.
THC Free CBD Products
If you see the CBD product labels and find out that it says the product is THC free, you should not assume that the product contains no THC. There is no guarantee that the product is completely free of THC. Instead, the product may contain only a trace amount of THC which is less than 0.3 percent. Many companies interpret THC free to mean that the product contains less than 0.3% THC. Some companies say their product is THC free because their products were tested in third party laboratories and no THC were detected.
Non Detectable THC aka ND THC
You may have seen CBD products with the abbreviation ND THC or non detectable THC on its label. You are confused, right? ND THC or non detectable THC means the CBD product you are purchasing does not contain any amount of THC. This does not guarantee that the CBD product is 100% THC free.
The reason being, most labs test for THC using a standard calibration of parts per million or PPM. What if the product is tested using parts per billion or PPB and THC is detected? Does this mean the product is THC free? Obviously this can be perplexing to the consumers who do not know the difference or think there is no THC at all in the product.
How Much THC is in Your CBD Product?
Due to personal preferences and inconsistent instructions from the manufacturers, the dosage of CBD varies drastically between individuals. Some research reported using CBD from 5 milligrams to 1000 milligrams. Although CBD products are consumed on the order of drops, some people may take half or all of a 30 milliliters bottle to receive their desired effects. Even at the high concentration, CBD is considered safe. However, taking too much can cause problems since the products that claim to be ND-THC or non detectable THC are not often free of THC at all.
The tincture examined by a third party lab in the COA image above shows 0.24wt% THC. This means this product is a representative of a typical full spectrum CBD tincture on the market. This equals approximately 35.1mg of THC in a half bottle and 70.2 mg of THC in an entire bottle. That is enough to produce psychoactive effects.
How to calculate the total amount of THC in a 30mL CBD Oil Bottle
We will use the above figure of COA as a reference for a CBD oil which is under the legal THC limit at 0.24% THC by weight. The “Conc” column stands for Concentration. This column indicates that there are 2.34 mg of THC per ml of CBD oil. Below is the method of calculating this:
0.24mg/100mL x 1000 = 240mg/100mL = 2.4mg/mL
The density of oil varies between 0.93g/mL to 0.98g/mL based on the type of viscosity of the oil.The equation below is for the difference in density:
2.4mg/mL x 97.5% = 2.34mg/mL
To calculate the amount of THC in a 30mL bottle, we multiply the above equation result by 30.
2.34mg/mL x 30 mL = 70.2mg
This 70.2mg of THC is the legal limit of THC in a 30mL bottle. However, these concentrations are commonly sold in today’s full spectrum CBD market.
Let’s calculate the amount of THC in a joint. American marijuana cigarettes contain 300mg of cannabis and 16% THC.
300mg x 0.16 = 48mg THC
If an average joint contains 48milligrams of THC, and it is possible to get high after a couple of puffs, it stands to reason that 70.2 milligrams of THC in a 30mL bottle can produce extreme psychoactive effects, especially for those with low tolerances.
The takeaway is that the CBD oil you are using may contain more THC than you realize. Truly, THC free product will have non detectable THC. It’s up to you to verify the amount of THC in your product.
So, What Does This All Mean?
It means that we are still in the inception of an incredible and emerging industry. The opportunities are sky high and the best is yet to come. As the CBD industry continues to evolve and the guidelines become more defined, it will be easier for the consumers to know what ND-THC or non detectable THC means. Moreover, it is a good idea to assume that most of the CBD products contain some amount of THC. The most important thing to remember is that the CBD product contains less than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis.
Final Thoughts
“THC free”, or “non detectable THC?” They both could mean the same thing. It’s safe to assume that they contain less than 0.3% THC.
Bonus: Before purchasing your CBD product do research on each brand. Try to learn how to read the label correctly. Always buy from those who can provide you with a third party lab test result. Since hemp is a bioaccumulator it absorbs almost everything from heavy metals to toxins from the soil. A third party lab test result ensures that the product you are buying contains no contaminants and is safe to consume.