How to read a California cannabis label.

The front: what it is and how much

The main panel tells you three things:

• Product identity: what the product is, such as “Gummies” or “Flower.”
• Net weight or volume, in both metric and U.S. units.
• The universal symbol: California’s triangle-shaped cannabis symbol. It’s at least half an inch tall on packages. Vape cartridges and all-in-one vapes also carry it on the device itself.

Edibles also say “cannabis-infused” in bold, directly above the product name.

Potency: percent or milligrams?

How THC and CBD are listed depends on the product:

Total THC includes THCA, the form in raw cannabis that turns into THC when heated. Labs calculate it as THC + (0.877 × THCA). The label can differ from the lab result by up to 10% and still count as accurate. Amounts under 2 mg may simply read “<2 mg.” When a label lists cannabinoids from the lab report, any other cannabinoid that makes up 5% or more of the total must be listed too.

Terpenes, the compounds behind aroma, appear only when the lab report confirms them. Learn more in our terpene guide.

The back: who made it and what’s in it

The informational panel, or an attached insert or fold-out, includes:

• The licensed producer or manufacturer, with a phone number or website
• The date it was packaged for retail sale
• A unique tracking identifier (UID), and for manufactured products, a batch or lot number
• For manufactured products: an ingredient list, major food allergens, any artificial colors, and instructions for use
• For edibles: sodium, sugar, carbohydrates and total fat per serving
• “Keep refrigerated” or “Refrigerate after opening” when a product is perishable
• “FOR MEDICAL USE ONLY” on higher-strength products that only medicinal patients can buy

The government warning

Every package carries a bold state warning. For flower and regular pre-rolls it reads:

GOVERNMENT WARNING: THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS CANNABIS, A SCHEDULE I CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND ANIMALS. CANNABIS MAY ONLY BE POSSESSED OR CONSUMED BY PERSONS 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER UNLESS THE PERSON IS A QUALIFIED PATIENT. CANNABIS USE WHILE PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING MAY BE HARMFUL. CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE AND OPERATE MACHINERY. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION.

The version on edibles, vapes, infused pre-rolls and other manufactured products adds that their intoxicating effects may be delayed by up to two hours.

Packaging statements

Edibles and tinctures must stay child-resistant for the life of the product. Flower, pre-rolls, vapes and topicals may use packaging that is child-resistant only until it’s first opened. In that case the label says, “This package is not child-resistant after opening.” Vape packaging can’t call the device “disposable.”

What lab testing covers

Before any batch reaches a store, a licensed lab tests a sample for cannabinoids, foreign material, heavy metals, microbial impurities, mycotoxins, moisture content and water activity, residual pesticides, residual solvents and processing chemicals, and terpenoids when they’re labeled. The results go on a certificate of analysis (COA).

Many brands print a QR code that links to the COA. That’s a voluntary courtesy rather than a state requirement. If a product doesn’t have one, ask our team what information is available.