CANNABIS RATIOS – WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

CANNABIS RATIOS – WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Many of the web searches that land on our Farmacann website are looking for clarification of the term “ratios”, often seen on cannabis product labels when the manufacturer needs to specify one aspect of “cannabinoid” potency contained within. Ratios are not generally of interest to the “recreational” cannabis consumer but can be of great interest to the medicinal cannabis patient.

Wikipedia provides us with a simple definition:  “In mathematics, a ratio indicates how many times one number contains another. For example, if there are eight oranges and six lemons in a bowl of fruit, then the ratio of oranges to lemons is eight to six (that is, 8∶6, which is equivalent to the ratio 4∶3).”

In the United States, the ratios shown on any cannabis product label (2:1 for example) will be the ratio (relationship) between CBD and THC, the primary cannabinoids in cannabis and of the greatest interest to cannabis consumers.

A 2:1 product may say that one capsule in the bottle “Contains 10mg CBD and 5mg THC” or it might say it “Contains 5mg CBD and 2.5mg THC” and still both be a 2:1 ratio. Below are the three formulated Farmacann products that contain a ratio of CBD to THC and their dosages:

CANNABINOIDS

There are at least 144 distinct cannabinoids found in cannabis so far, each exhibiting varied effects on the consumer.  Non-psychoactive Cannabidiol (CBD) and psychoactive Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are considered the primary medicinal cannabinoids in the plant. CBD:THC ratios are what interests consumers, but some of the remaining cannabinoids can often be found in the product batch test results if available from the manufacturer.

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP OR ENTOURAGE EFFECT

The symbiotic relationship between CBD, THC and other cannabis plant components, or the ”entourage effect”, has evolved to describe the polypharmacy-like effects of combined cannabis phytochemicals or whole plant extracts.[9] The phrase now commonly refers to the compounds present in cannabis supposedly working in concert to create “the sum of all the parts that leads to the magic or power of cannabis”.[4] Other cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids may be part of an entourage effect.[8] The entourage effect is considered a possible cannabinoid system modulator and is achieved in pain management.[1][8][10]

DOSAGE

Another aspect of product potency is “dosage” or “recommended dosage” which describes, in milligrams (mg), how much CBD or THC cannabinoids are in each capsule or pill, for example.  That way, the consumer and/or healthcare provider can comfortably gauge and anticipate the effect of the product on the consumer. Since CBD is not psychoactive, there really isn’t a concern regarding maximum dosages that can vary over a wide range of opinions coming from doctors to self-professed social media guru’s.

A light dosage of THC might be in the 2-3mg range, a modest dosage might be 5-10mg and a “be careful” dosage can be anything greater than a light dosage depending on the individual’s tolerance, although some seasoned recreational hobbyists do enjoy a level in the 100’s of milligrams of THC.

If you do have an undesirable psychoactive THC experience while trying to gauge your personal comfort level, it will subside within an hour or so.  Meanwhile, relax, listen to White Rabbit and enjoy the experience if you can.

TERPENES

You may be wondering what terpenes are and why they are referred to in medicinal cannabis conversations.  In short, terpenes and terpenoids, which are prevalent throughout the plant world as aromas, flavors and other key plant elements, have an inventory estimated at 55,000 chemical entities and are shared throughout the plant world.  For example, the terpene limonene is the major component of citrus fruit peels but is also an important component of the natural cannabis entourage playing its part in the symbiotic relationship of whole plant medicinal extracts much like aroma therapy capitalizes on a variety of plant terpenes for its medicinal benefits.

PRODUCT LABELS

A pill card of 30 Farmacann RELIEF 2:1 CBD:THC capsules, for example, is labeled that “Pill Cards contain a total of 300mg of combined cannabinoids,” a combination of the CBD + THC.  Each capsule will contain  6.6mg CBD + 3.3mg THC and  labeled as such.  If the preferred or recommended dosage is one or more capsules, based on the batch lab test results, it is consistent from batch to batch.  Product labels rarely include terpene content.

CONSISTENCY

When Farmacann was first conceived in 2010, with original products developed by 2011, knowledge of cannabidiol (CBD) was in its infancy and, unlike today, entirely unknown to most people. 

At the time, with the unregulated cannabis industry conversations and “rumors” about CBD having medicinal qualities, the curious Farmacann founders acquired one hybrid plant of a strain named Harlequin that was claimed would test with a 2:1 CBD:THC ratio. The first Farmacann crop of Harlequin did in fact produce a roughly 2:1 CBD:THC extract ratio that immediately proved to be medicinally effective when formulated into a coconut oil-based tincture.  

The challenge was consistency:  The cloned plants themselves were not always consistent in producing exact ratios and the testing labs at the time were anything but consistent in their results.  

So, blending consistent products was difficult until Farmacann acquired its own in-house High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) equipment and assembled its own testing lab, a first in the cannabis product manufacturing industry.

Today, the industry has evolved greatly and can produce very accurate, consistent blends of cannabinoids and terpenes to create the desired entourage effect, utilizing not only whole-plant extracts but by adjusting the medicinal ratios with individual extract components. 

This is how Farmacann has been reinvented under VersaGenix, Inc., a BCC licensed  cannabis manufacturing and delivery service (License No. C12-0000075-LIC) that has taken the original ratios of the products proven to be most effective, added a proprietary blend of terpenes for increased efficacy, and implemented even better in-house as well as independent third-party lab testing. This ensures that Farmacann products in 2021 are always pure, have consistent ratios and are effective from batch to batch.

Jon Early, Founder of Farmacann