I bet you were hoping for a quick little recipe that would somehow make your plants ooze sticky THC from every pore. This is not that article, but it is interesting stuff and I promise you will learn something new. A few days ago I posted an article on cannabis lab testing in which I mentioned that the cannabinoid levels in lab test results could be substantially inaccurate because of the moisture content of the sample. By over drying a small sample of cannabis, dispensaries or growers could actually game the system and drive up the THC levels in the test results. Unethical, yes, but it’s easy to do. Numerous emails have suggested I explain this in a bit more detail.
The drier the sample, the higher it will test for THC and other cannabinoids. Labs test for the level of cannabinoids found in a given sample of bud. My understanding is that the sample size is usually 1 gram. A freshly harvested gram is going to contain much more water than a 1 gram bud that is very dry. Water does not contain cannabinoids so the higher the moisture content of the test sample, the lower the THC or other cannabinoids in the test results.
This is a bit tricky to explain, but think about it this way. With a wet sample say 50% water the lab essentially be testing ½ gram of bud and ½ gram of water. The dry sample contains much less water, therefore more of the gram is bud and bud is filled with cannabinoids. This is the same reason that extracts test so highly for THC. Not only has the water been removed, but also most of the plant material that doesn’t contain the cannabinoids. This leaves you a sample of mostly trichomes or their oils like is found in bubble hash or kief or hash oil. It’s pretty obvious that you’re one gram sample of hash is going to test at higher levels of cannabinoids than bud. The same is true of dry bud versus wet bud.
Luckily you can use simple math to adjust for the moisture content and figure out the true levels of cannabinoids in your sample. This of course assumes that you know the moisture content of the sample that was tested. Most labs test for this but not all dispensaries show it to their customers. It should be noted that just because the sample that was sent for testing was very dry or very wet, doesn’t mean that the medicine you are purchasing has the same moisture content.
You might think I’m nitpicking over such a small inaccuracy, and for some purposes you might be right. We are not talking about a big difference when we deal with samples ranging from 8-12% moisture content like is found in most dried and cured cannabis.  On the other hand, If we are going to spend time to look cannabinoid levels, don’t we want to compare apples to apples. If we have results from two buds with different moisture contents, they can’t be compared until you have adjusted the lab results to a baseline moisture content.  If you are testing for breeding purposes or experimenting with growing techniques, adjusting for the water content is essential for identifying slight variations in cannabinoid levels.
Math
First we need to pick the baseline moisture content. Since the average water content of cured bud is about 10%, I am going to use this as the baseline for the calculation. You could just as easily use any number as long as you are consistent.
As an example we are going to look at two different make-believe buds. Both have been lab tested and show a total THC level of 18%. The difference is that one sample has a moisture content is 15% while the other has only 5%.
The difference between the 15% moisture content and the baseline of 10% is a difference of 5%
Multiply 5% (.05) by the THC content of 18% or (.18) which equals 9% or (.009)
Since we know that a water content over baseline will mean more cannabinoids, we add this to the original THC content of 18%.
Our THC content adjusted for water content is .9% + 18% = 18.9%
Now this doesn’t seem like a huge number but let’s compare it to the sample with a moisture content of only 5%. Instead of adding .9% we need to subtract it from the original 18% THC
Our THC content adjusted for water content is -.9% + 18% = 17.1%.
Even though these two buds both showed 18% THC in the lab results, we know that if they were both dried to the 10% moisture level baseline, one would test at 17.1% THC and the other at 18.9% THC. This increase from 17.1% to 18.9% THC is an increase of a little over 10%. When growers are experimenting with methods for increasing the THC content of the buds they grow, a 10% increase is pretty substantial.
There you have it. You’ll never look at cannabinoids profiles the same again.
How to Increase THC with Simple Math,
Yes you are definitely correct however the bud shuold be dried and cured properly before even thinking about selling to a dispensary. If the bud is not dried first then when it is put into a zip lock or jar it get mold and other nasty bacteria. Also this is basic growers knowledge that properly dried and cured bud has a higher THC and Cannabanoid content, than bud with alot of water still in it. So I am wondering why we are not simply educating people as to the proper drying and curing techniques. You should always dry your bud. If a dispensary is buying wet bud then I say they are not professional. Jorge Cervantes Medical Marijuana Growers Bible covers this.
We have several articles on our page about properly harvesting and drying cannabis. I think you are missing the point of the article entirely. Both 5% water and 15% water will appear to be dried and cured to most people. The buds actual water content at the time it is sent to the lab can effect the lab results and may not be the same water content as the bud being sold.
Excellent information. Thank you.
A simple Pie Chart would have sufficed. More water in a gram = less of everything else. Common Sense. No math needed
can moisture content be tested for?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but a lab would first seperate the THC, from the water, and other contaminates, and then determine it’s strength. I would think in any testing they would have to first process the sample to get an accurate baseline of things. I’m not a lab tech, but it seems like it would make sense that they are taking all samples and drying them, assuming its a credible lab, so that all samples are tested equally. This would be easily controllable by any lab with the equipment they possess,.
Formoisture content try a moisture tester for shelled corn you throw a handful of kernals inclose door and Viola its a small plasticbox battery operated usually a couplehindred bucks
There are hay testers also but long stainless probe to slide in a bale of hay may workif buds in a bag slide probe in and seal bag around rod also battery operated
I’m a first time farmer,and I am going by word of mouth by some associates and want to know where to find a cheap but very effective plan for growing from A-Z…Any info would be greatly appreciated