What is Considered a High THC Vape?

High THC Marijuana Plant

When we discuss what is considered a high THC vape, we are essentially talking about legal THC vape. We are not talking about other things like medical cannabis or marijuana. Since the law strictly controls how much THC is permissible in vape pens, it is worth understanding what could be an upper limit.

What does the Law Say or Permits?

THC is illegal in the UK. It is a controlled substance under the Drugs Misuse Act. Nonetheless, the law also understands that some products might have THC. This is because removing THC from certain extracts entirely is not possible.

In the UK, most CBD is extracted from legally cultivated hemp, which does not contain more than 0.02% of THC. However, this also led to certain misconceptions, with many thinking that this is the upper limit of THC in vape pens. However, this is far from true.

Vape pens produced legally may have higher THC concentrations. Not only that, they might also contain other cannabinoids that closely resemble THC.

In the UK, Law says that vape pens or containers should not contain more than 1 mg of THC. Further, it also says that pens should not be made to use THC only specifically. Hence, legal THC vapes in the UK do not cause a high (1).

Moreover, the law says that the 1 mg limit is not just for THC but for all compounds that might degrade to THC over time. This is to ensure consumer safety and ensure that THC remains within those limits even on prolonged storage.

But, of course, this also means that 1 mg is the limit, irrespective of the container size. Thus, whether the vape pen is 3 ml or 1 ml, it cannot have THC above 1 mg. It means that what is considered a high THC vape would generally have a total volume of no more than 1 ml, which results in a THC concentration of about 0.1%. Yes, that is quite potent to enjoy THC’s health benefits fully. Yet, it would not cause a high.

At these legally permitted levels, THC can do a few things, like work with CBD to cause “the entourage effect,” and it can also modulate the working of the endocannabinoid system. However, these dosages cannot significantly influence brain neuron excitability (though it may affect mildly). Hence, even at these dosages, it does not cause a high or euphoria.

So, it might be right to say that a high-THC vape would ideally have 1 ml of cannabis extract containing 1 mg of THC. Few manufacturers might go even beyond these limits creating 0.5 ml vape pen, but these vape pens do not last long, though they would be quite strong.

However, here, it is vital to understand that high-THC vapes are also rich in compounds like delta-8 THC, THCA and THCVA. They also contain higher amounts of cannabinoids, a cocktail of CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBC, and more. So, the potency of THC vape depends on many things.

Creating high THC vape is a complex science since it is about striking a balance between safety and effectiveness and still not breaking the legal norms. That is why it is essential to buy only high-quality THC vapes. These vapes have been well-tested, and they are known to contain what they claim.

The Bottom Line

A legal vape pen may have some THC. These vapes contain full-spectrum cannabis extract, which is in composition very close to natural hemp juice. However, THC vape pens are made after processing the extract. Thus, some may have higher THC concentration, others low. The law forbids THC vapes from having more than 1 mg of THC per container or pen. So, that is the maximum legal limit.

References

  1. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 [Internet]. King’s Printer of Acts of Parliament; [cited 2024 Jul 16]. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/3998/regulation/2/made