Why Composition and Preparation Matter

One plant, many different products

The phrase "cannabis" can mean dried flower, an oil, a gummy, a lotion, a vape liquid or a prescription medicine. They do not behave alike. NIDA says cannabis may affect people differently depending on the amount taken, THC potency, a product's ingredients, the way it is ingested, other drugs a person has taken, underlying medical conditions, and age, sex and genetic differences. [1] This page explains four things that change what a product does: composition, preparation, route and label accuracy. It gives no dosing, recipes or preparation steps.

Composition: what is in the product

Cannabis chemistry varies from sample to sample. A study of commercial cannabis from six US states found distinct chemical profiles (chemotypes), and that the labels used in the market do not consistently line up with them. [2] Plants also fall into broad chemotypes, defined by the ratio of THC to CBD: THC-predominant, CBD-predominant and intermediate. [3]

Some points follow:

• A cultivar name, an indica or sativa label, or a lineage claim is not a chemical measurement. See Why Indica and Sativa Labels Do Not Reliably Predict Effects.
• Marketing percentages are not the same as independent laboratory results. Because composition varies, this site gives no "typical" THC, CBD or terpene percentages. Verified batch data would be needed for any specific product. See How to Read a Cannabis COA.
• Extra ingredients matter. A hemp-derived oral product with CBD, THC and their acid forms produced subjective intoxication and impaired working memory in a laboratory study at its highest study amount, even though its THC content was relatively low. [4]

Preparation: how the starting material was changed

Plant material and extracts can be turned into oils, edibles, concentrates and topical products. Processing changes what a product contains, such as how much of a cannabinoid is in acid or neutral form. [5] Heat, light and air alter cannabinoid acids over time. [6] See Decarboxylation Explained. Different product families are in their own collections, such as Cannabis Concentrates Explained and CBD Products: Oils, Topicals, Edibles and How to Read a Label.

Route: how it enters the body

The same compound acts differently depending on how it is taken. These are published findings about timing, not guidance.

NIDA says edibles typically take longer to show effects, and that people may use more as a result, increasing the likelihood of serious negative effects. [1] NIDA also says dabbing can rapidly deliver large amounts of THC. [1] See Delayed Effects and Accidental Overconsumption of Edibles.

Label accuracy

NCCIH says some cannabis and cannabinoid products contain amounts that differ substantially from their labels, and reports of contamination with microorganisms, pesticides or other substances. [9] FDA tested some CBD products and found many did not contain the amount of CBD claimed. [10] Products marketed as CBD have also been found to contain THC. [1]

Medicines versus consumer products

FDA says approved drugs have been carefully evaluated for safety, efficacy and quality, [11] and the approved CBD medicine is a purified product. [9] Consumer products do not carry that guarantee. See Cannabis Medicines vs Consumer Products.

Safety note

Because product contents and routes vary, the amount that is too much for one person or product cannot be read from a label alone. If a child has swallowed a cannabis product, FDA says to take the child to a physician or emergency department. [11] In the US, call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.