Let’s talk about the great THC numbers game—and why a 39% flower is probably just lying to you.

As a cannabis lab director, I’ve seen the testing results, the pressure from clients, and the broken incentives behind high-THC marketing. The problem isn’t just inflated numbers—it’s what we’re not measuring, and how that hurts everyone from growers to consumers.

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🤔 What Is Potency Inflation?

Potency inflation is when cannabis products, especially flower, are reported with THC percentages higher than reality. Sometimes it’s sloppy testing. Sometimes it’s “lab shopping” (where producers find a lab that gives the highest numbers). Sometimes it’s outright fraud.

A real flower testing above 35% total Δ9-THC is incredibly rare. If it says 39%? Either it’s a unicorn or the numbers were massaged. Probably the second one.

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🍆 Why It Happens

1. Market pressure: Retailers and consumers chase the highest THC % like it’s Pokémon stats.
2. Perception = value: Higher THC means higher prices—even if the weed isn’t actually better.
3. No standard enforcement: Labs aren’t always audited, and results can vary wildly.
4. Producers can shop around until they get the number they want.

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🔥 Why It’s Bad for Everyone

• Consumers: Are misled into thinking high THC = better weed (it doesn’t).
• Growers: Feel pressured to push out numbers instead of quality.
• Labs: Face the impossible choice: tell the truth and lose clients, or inflate and stay competitive.
• Regulators: Struggle to enforce accuracy in an underfunded and inconsistent system.

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🤯 It’s Not Just the THC

Great cannabis is about more than just one number. Terpenes, minor cannabinoids, freshness, and even how you consume it matter just as much—if not more.

We need to stop treating flower like vodka. It’s not about proof. It’s about profile.

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TL;DR (Too Lazy, Didn’t Respect the Lab)

• That 38% flower? Probably not real.
• Potency inflation is driven by money, not science.
• THC is only part of the story. Stop chasing numbers. Start chasing quality.

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👩‍🔬 Author Note

I’m the scientific director of a cannabis testing lab, and I write Chronically Informed to say the quiet stuff out loud. Especially when it’s covered in trichomes.

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