Cannabis Flower Testing Shows THC Potency Widely Inflated In Colorado

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Most Colorado cannabis flower products are mislabeled with inflated THC
levels, according to a study published this month in Scientific Reports.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder,
anonymously sampled hundreds of different cannabis products from 52
state-licensed retailers and tested the samples for THC content. Of the 178
flower samples, over half — 56.7% — were found to have “significantly
lower” THC potency than their labels suggested. The study authors also
found that while product labels for cannabis concentrates “met the accuracy
threshold for THC content,” the 99 sampled products had “lower observed THC
content compared to labeled values.”

The study suggests that the practice of “lab shopping” — where cannabis
operators select testing labs based on which one yields the most favorable
results, from a marketing perspective — is still prevalent in Colorado.

Greg Giordano, Senior Professional Research Assistant and one of the
study’s authors, told CPR News that accurate labeling is a key part of
having a regulated cannabis market.

“It’s important that we have accurate cannabis product labels so people who
do that kind of research — looking at risks, potential risks — that they
know what’s in the product.” — Giordano, via CPR

Regulators with the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) said they
“look forward to an opportunity to discuss the findings of the study in a
public forum with the licensee and other stakeholders in the near future,”
according to the report.