Walk into almost any dispensary today and you’ll hear it: “This one’s testing at 32%.” Budtenders pitch high-THC flower as if it were golden nuggets, consumers rush to grab the jars with the highest numbers, and brands plaster the percentage like a badge of honor. In today’s market, potency percentages aren’t just a selling point—they’ve become the entire identity of cannabis.
But here’s the problem: THC percentage is one of the most misleading and manipulated metrics in the industry. Consumers think it’s the ultimate measure of quality, growers feel pressured to breed for nothing but numbers, and labs are under fire for inflating results. The truth is uglier than most realize, and it’s reshaping the future of cannabis in ways that could leave everyone worse off.
Why Consumers Chase THC
Legalization brought cannabis into the mainstream, but it also reduced it to a math problem: more THC = better weed. For new consumers, especially those used to alcohol’s ABV scale, the biggest number on the jar feels like the safest bet. Why pay for flower labeled at 18% when a 32% strain promises “almost double the strength”?
Veterans know better. Anyone who’s smoked long enough knows a 17% strain can knock you flat while a 30% bud feels oddly underwhelming. That’s because cannabis isn’t a single compound; it’s a whole ecosystem, with each element working together to create balance and effect. Cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids play together to create the “high.” This is known as the entourage effect, and it often matters far more than raw THC content.
Still, dispensary buyers reinforce the fixation. Many often refuse to stock high-quality flower if it tests below 25%, no matter how flavorful or unique. Growers know this, and many admit that they feel trapped chasing numbers just to stay on the shelves.
The Lab Scandal: Are the Numbers Real?
If THC percentages are the gold standard, who weighs the gold? Testing labs. And that’s where the cracks widen.
Across legal states, lawsuits and regulatory investigations have revealed what many in the industry have whispered about for years: inflated THC results. In Nevada, labs were disciplined for overstating potency to attract business. In California, class-action lawsuits accused brands of knowingly selling flower with exaggerated potency numbers.
Even more troubling, scientists argue that many of the sky-high results aren’t even chemically possible. Most natural cannabis falls in the 15–25% THC range. Anything consistently testing at 35% should be a unicorn, not a Tuesday menu special. Yet somehow, “35%” strains pop up everywhere.
The practice of “lab shopping”—sending product to whichever lab will give the most flattering number—has become an open secret. Brands want inflated results because consumers demand them. Labs that refuse to inflate risk losing clients. It’s a vicious loop: bad data fuels bad consumer habits, which forces growers and brands to chase a standard that doesn’t exist.
While everyone obsesses over THC, terpenes get pushed to the background even though they are the compounds responsible for flavor and much of the effect. They’re harder to market with a single number, and they don’t sell as fast as “33% THC.” So they get ignored.
The Grower’s Dilemma
For cultivators, the THC arms race is more than frustrating; it’s limiting. Genetics that shine for aroma, flavor, or unique effects are often ignored if the THC isn’t high enough.
Farmers face tough choices:
- Harvesting early to lock in THC, sacrificing terpene development.
- Selective breeding only for potency, leaving other plant traits behind.
- Run monocrops of the same “high-testing” genetics, narrowing diversity and pushing heirlooms toward extinction.
The result is a market flooded with high-THC strains that often lack flavor, balance, or nuance. Cannabis becomes homogenized, and consumers lose out on the diversity that once defined the culture.
But not everyone is playing the game. A growing number of sungrown cultivators are giving a loud, unapologetic “fuck you” to the THC chase. These farmers argue that cannabis should be measured by its full spectrum of qualities—smell, flavor, balance, sustainability—not just a number. Regions like Humboldt County and parts of Oregon have many commercial growers that are known to focus on terpene-forward, sun-grown flower that honors the plant’s full cycle. For them, THC obsession isn’t just bad science; it’s a betrayal of the plant itself.
Many of these “lower-testing” batches end up delivering a richer, more memorable high than their supposed 32% counterparts. Anyone who’s smoked well-cured, terpene-heavy sungrown knows the difference. Your body feels it even if the label doesn’t scream it.
The Cost to Consumers
For consumers, the costs are both immediate and long-term.
On the immediate side, newbies chasing “the strongest weed” often wind up anxious, paranoid, or simply disappointed when a 32% strain doesn’t deliver the euphoric ride they expected. For veterans, the tragedy is missing out on an incredible flower. Strains with complexity, flavor, and cultural history that never make it past dispensary buyers because the THC didn’t test high enough.
In the long run, the obsession with THC threatens to erode cannabis education. Instead of teaching people to evaluate flower by sight, smell, trichome density, curing quality, and terpene profile, the legal market is training buyers to shop by a single inflated number. If everyone knows the THC numbers are cooked, how does that affect confidence in the whole system? Consumers may eventually turn away, which undermines the very stability legalization promised.
This is where Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) matter. Learning to read and understand these lab reports is one of the most important skills for cannabis consumers. These reports provide a transparent breakdown of cannabinoids, terpenes, and safety testing, helping you verify both potency and purity. Even if the reports may be inflated, knowing how to interpret a CoA empowers you to make confident, informed choices.
Beyond THC: What Cannabis Could Be
The fixation on THC percentage isn’t just a scientific or consumer issue; it’s cultural. Cannabis was never meant to be reduced to a number. From landrace strains preserved in remote valleys to the underground breeders who fueled the modern scene, diversity and creativity have always defined the plant.
But with dispensaries chasing numbers and brands marketing inflated labels, cannabis risks falling into the same trap as industrial agriculture: uniformity at the expense of flavor, diversity, and tradition. If the industry doesn’t correct course, we could lose an entire generation of genetics, knowledge, and culture in the pursuit of a THC bubble.
Fortunately, there are signs of hope. Some dispensaries are beginning to highlight terpene profiles on menus. A few brands are experimenting with effect-based labeling like “calm” or “uplifting” rather than just potency numbers. And growers who refuse to play the THC game are building cult followings with consumers who actually care about craft.
The real challenge is the shifting consumer mindset. Just as the community is slowly moving past the tired indica/sativa/hybrid labels, it’s time to dethrone THC as the kingmaker. That shift won’t happen overnight but it has to start with education, honesty, and more people willing to say what insiders already know: THC is only the tip of the iceberg.
Don’t Buy the Hype
So, is THC % the biggest lie in cannabis? Absolutely. It’s a marketing gimmick propped up by lab games, consumer misconceptions, and industry pressure. It misleads buyers, limits growers, and risks iconic cannabis genetics being left behind simply because of a number.
High Times readers—many of whom already know weed is more than a number—should be leading the pushback. Next time you’re at the dispensary, ignore the sticker and trust your nose, your taste, and your experience. That’s where the truth of cannabis lives.
This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
