How to Read a Canadian Cannabis Label: THC, Total THC and CBD
Every cannabis product sold under federal rules in Canada carries a label with the same core parts. Once you know where each part sits, the label answers most practical questions about a product: how much THC and CBD it contains, how that amount is measured, when it was packaged and whether federal duty was paid on it.
This guide explains how to read a cannabis label in Canada, one section at a time. It is based on Health Canada’s consumer guide, How to read and understand a cannabis product label, its Packaging and labelling guide for cannabis products, and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) pages on excise stamps. We checked these pages in October 2026. Rules change, so the official pages are the final word.
The label at a glance
| Label element | Where to look | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Standardized cannabis symbol | Front, upper-left area | The product contains more than 10 micrograms of THC per gram |
| Health warning message | Front, in a yellow box | One of a rotating set of federal health warnings |
| Total THC and total CBD | Front, in bold | Cannabinoid content, per gram, per unit or per package |
| Class of cannabis | On the label | Dried, fresh, edible, extract, topical, plant or seed |
| Packaging date and lot number | On the label | When the product was packaged and which batch it came from |
| Excise stamp | On the package, placed so it seals it | Federal cannabis duty was paid; the BC stamp has a teal colour band |
What a federal cannabis label must show
The required information comes from the federal Cannabis Regulations. With a few narrow technical exceptions, such as certain standardized ingredient names, it must appear in both English and French. According to Health Canada, a cannabis label includes:
- the standardized cannabis symbol, when the product contains more than 10 micrograms of THC per gram
- a health warning message in a yellow box on the front
- the brand name
- the total THC and total CBD content
- the class of cannabis: dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, cannabis plants, cannabis seeds, edible cannabis, cannabis extracts or cannabis topicals
- the net weight or volume, and the number of units when a package holds separate units such as capsules
- the intended use, such as inhalation or ingestion, for dried and fresh cannabis, extracts and topicals
- recommended storage conditions, such as temperature, light or humidity
- the statement KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN / TENIR HORS DE LA PORTÉE DES ENFANTS
- the lot number and the packaging date
- the name, phone number and email address of the company responsible for the product
- an ingredients list for extracts, topicals and edibles; edible labels must also identify food allergens, gluten and added sulphites
- a nutrition facts table, for edible cannabis only
Some information is optional. Health Canada lists items such as a strain name, a terpene profile and, for dried cannabis, the percentage of THC and CBD. Some product classes may also carry an expiry date. Since the 2025 amendments, a label may also include an extra bar code, such as a QR code.
THC vs total THC, and CBD vs total CBD
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main intoxicating compound in cannabis and the one that federal limits, symbols and warnings are built around. CBD (cannabidiol) is a separate cannabinoid with its own line on the label.
In cannabis plant material, much of the THC is present as THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), and much of the CBD as CBDA (cannabidiolic acid). According to Health Canada’s information for health care professionals, heating converts these acid forms into THC and CBD, for example when dried cannabis is smoked or vaporized.
Total THC takes that conversion into account. The Cannabis Regulations base it on the potential to convert THCA into THC, meaning the largest amount of THC that could be obtained if all of the THCA converted. Total CBD works the same way for CBDA and CBD. When you compare two products, compare their total THC and total CBD figures.
Why some labels show two THC numbers
Labels used to show both the THC amount and the total THC amount. Amendments that came into force on March 12, 2025 changed this so that only total THC and total CBD are required. Older labels were allowed for one more year, until March 12, 2026. According to Health Canada’s summary of the changes, producers can still print the plain THC and CBD amounts, but those figures can no longer be in bold.
So the bold numbers are the totals. If a package of dried flower lists a small THC figure and a much larger total THC figure, the small number is THC already in its active form, and the bold total also counts the THCA that heat would convert. Total THC and total CBD must be printed in bold and can be as large as the health warning text, but no larger.
Other intoxicating cannabinoids
Some products contain intoxicating cannabinoids other than delta-9-THC. Health Canada’s guidance on these products says accurate information on all intoxicating cannabinoids should be on the label, including each one’s name and its quantity or concentration.
mg/g, percent and mg per unit
Federal labels must show total THC and total CBD in milligrams. For dried cannabis, Health Canada’s packaging guide also lets producers add the percentage as optional information, but the bold milligram figures are the required ones. The format depends on the product class and on whether the product comes in separate units. Total CBD follows the same pattern as total THC. In the formats below, ## stands for the number printed on the label:
| Product type | Format on the label | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Dried flower and pre-rolls | Total THC ## mg/g | Milligrams of THC per gram of cannabis |
| Vape cartridges and most concentrates (extracts for inhalation) | Total THC ## mg/g | Milligrams of THC per gram of extract |
| Edible cannabis | Total THC per unit ## mg, and Total THC ## mg | The amount in each piece, and in the whole package |
| Extracts taken by mouth in separate units, such as capsules | Total THC per unit ## mg | The amount in each capsule or unit |
| Extracts with a dispenser, such as an oral spray | Total THC per activation ## mg, plus mg/g | The amount in each spray, and per gram |
| Cannabis topicals | Total THC per unit ## mg, or ## mg/g | The amount per unit or per gram |
Converting mg/g to a percentage
A gram is 1,000 milligrams, so dividing an mg/g figure by 10 gives the percentage by weight. Health Canada’s example is a 30 g package of dried cannabis labelled Total THC 180 mg/g, which means the whole package contains 5,400 mg of total THC. Dividing 180 by 10 gives 18% total THC by weight. The same conversion works for THC pens and concentrates, which usually show much larger mg/g figures because they are concentrated forms of cannabis.
When you look at dried flower or any other product, check whether a figure is per gram, per unit or per package before comparing it with another product. A percentage on a menu and an mg/g figure on a label are two ways of writing the same amount.
Edibles: per unit and per package
Edible labels show the amount of THC in each piece and in the whole package. Under the federal composition requirements, edible cannabis cannot contain more than 10 mg of THC per package (the immediate container). In Health Canada’s example, a package of 4 pieces labelled Total THC per unit 2.5 mg holds 10 mg in total. The per-unit line is the one that tells you what is in a single piece.
Extracts taken by mouth in separate units, such as capsules, are limited to 10 mg of THC per unit, and any cannabis extract is limited to 1,000 mg of THC per container. You can see how edibles are listed in the edibles menu preview.
Net weight and the 30 g equivalent
Labels show net weight, but not how a product counts toward possession limits. In BC, adults 19 and older can possess up to 30 grams of dried non-medical cannabis, or its equivalent, in a public place, and can buy up to that amount in a single transaction. Health Canada’s public possession calculator lists these equivalents for 1 g of dried cannabis:
- 5 g of fresh cannabis
- 15 g of cannabis solids at room temperature with up to 3% THC
- 70 g of cannabis non-solids at room temperature with up to 3% THC, other than beverages
- 0.25 g of cannabis concentrates with more than 3% THC
- 570 g of cannabis beverages with 3% THC or less
- 1 cannabis plant seed
The same calculator adds up a mix of products for you.
The packaging date and other dates
Dried cannabis, fresh cannabis, extracts, topicals and edibles all show the date the product was packaged, written in year, month, day order. Some labels use the two-letter bilingual month codes listed in Health Canada’s guide, such as JN for June or SE for September. The printed date can differ from the actual packaging date by up to seven days either way.
The label also carries a lot number, which identifies the production batch. If a product is ever recalled, the lot number is how you check whether your package is affected.
Other dates depend on the product class. Dried and fresh cannabis do not need an expiry date. Extracts and topicals show an expiry date when the producer has established a stability period for the product. Edibles cannot carry an expiry date; instead, an edible with a durable life of 90 days or less must show a durable life date, the same kind of date used on packaged food. Read the dates together with the storage conditions on the label.
The standardized cannabis symbol and the health warning
The red THC symbol
The standardized cannabis symbol is a red octagon with a white border. A white cannabis leaf fills the upper two-thirds, and the letters THC appear in white on a black band across the lower third. It must sit in the upper-left quarter of the principal display panel, which is the main face of the package, and measure at least 1.27 cm by 1.27 cm.
The symbol is required on any product with more than 10 micrograms of THC per gram, counting THCA that could convert to THC. Products at or below that level do not need it. The symbol tells you that a product contains THC; it does not tell you how much.
The yellow health warning box
Every cannabis product label has a health warning message in a yellow box on the front. It includes the word WARNING in bold capital letters, followed by a message of one or two sentences, with the first sentence in bold. The brand name cannot be printed in a larger type size than the warning.
Producers rotate through a federal list of messages, so two packages of the same product can show different warnings. Health Canada updated the list in 2025. The messages cover topics such as impaired driving, pregnancy and breastfeeding, mental health, brain development in people under 25, and the delayed onset of edibles. The full list is on Health Canada’s cannabis health warning messages page.
The BC excise stamp
The cannabis excise stamp is issued by the Canada Revenue Agency. It shows that federal cannabis duty, and any additional cannabis duty, was paid on the product. Under the CRA’s excise duty memorandum on cannabis stamping, the stamp goes in a conspicuous place on the package and is applied so that it seals the package.
Each province and territory with a coordinated stamp arrangement has its own stamp colour. The British Columbia stamp has a vertical teal band with the letters BC in white and the words DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ in black letters running vertically.
Low-THC cannabis products and prescription cannabis drugs do not need a stamp. For other products, the CRA’s advice to consumers is direct: if you do not see the stamp, do not buy or use the product. Because the stamp seals the package, a broken stamp also shows that the package has been opened.
Terpenes, when they are listed
Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in cannabis and in many other plants. Health Canada’s packaging guide lists a terpene profile as optional information, so some labels name terpenes and others do not. There is no required format, and a label without a terpene list is not missing anything required.
Like everything else on a label, optional information must not be false or misleading. Read a terpene list as composition information, much like an ingredients list. Strain names are also optional information.
A quick label checklist
- Find the red THC symbol and the yellow health warning on the front.
- Read the bold total THC and total CBD figures, and note the unit: mg/g, mg per unit, mg per activation or mg per package.
- For edibles and capsules, check both the per-unit amount and the package amount.
- Check the class of cannabis and the intended use.
- Look at the packaging date, any expiry or durable life date, and the storage conditions.
- For edibles, read the ingredients and allergen information.
- Make sure the BC excise stamp, with its teal band, is present and unbroken.
Labels and the Green Express menu preview
Green Express is not taking orders yet. Our application for a BC cannabis retail licence with the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) is in progress, and the site shows a menu preview only. The preview is organized by category: Flowers, Edibles, Concentrates, THC Pens and Pre-Rolls and Accessories.
When you look at a product in the preview, the same label terms apply: compare total THC and total CBD, and check whether a figure is per gram, per unit or per package.
Our planned delivery area covers Surrey, Langley (City and Township) and White Rock, for adults 19 and older. How delivery works explains the planned delivery rules, including the ID check at the door.
Browse the menu to see how products are listed. Check your postal code to see whether your address is in the planned delivery area. The FAQ answers other common questions.
Cannabis label questions
Why is the THC number on a label lower than the total THC number?
The plain THC figure counts only THC already in its active form. Total THC also counts the THCA that could convert to THC when the product is heated. Since March 12, 2026, only the total THC and total CBD figures may appear in bold, and the plain figures are optional.
Is 180 mg/g the same as 18% THC?
Yes. A gram is 1,000 milligrams, so 180 mg of total THC per gram is 18% by weight. Divide any mg/g figure by 10 to get the percentage.
What does the BC cannabis excise stamp look like?
It has a vertical teal band with the letters BC in white and DUTY PAID CANADA DROIT ACQUITTÉ in black letters running vertically. It is placed on the package so that it seals it. The CRA advises consumers not to buy or use a cannabis product that should have a stamp but does not.
Does every cannabis product show the red THC symbol?
No. The symbol is required only when a product contains more than 10 micrograms of THC per gram, counting THCA that could convert to THC. Every cannabis product label, however, must carry a health warning message in a yellow box.
Official sources
- Health Canada: How to read and understand a cannabis product label
- Health Canada: Packaging and labelling guide for cannabis products
- Health Canada: Summary of changes following the streamlining of regulations
- Health Canada: Standardized cannabis symbol
- Health Canada: Cannabis health warning messages
- Health Canada: Guide on composition requirements for cannabis products
- Canada Revenue Agency: Excise stamps, information for consumers
- Canada Revenue Agency: EDM6-1, cannabis stamping regime
- Health Canada: Guidance on cannabis products with intoxicating cannabinoids other than delta-9-THC
- Health Canada: Online calculator for public possession limits
- Health Canada: Information for health care professionals, cannabis and the cannabinoids
- Government of British Columbia: Possession and purchasing limits
