Massachusetts Regulators to Begin Auditing THC Potency Labels on Marijuana Products
- Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission will audit THC potency levels on marijuana product labels and remove products with mislabeled THC content from the market.
- Products are deemed compliant if their tested THC potency falls within 75% to 125% of the label amount; those outside this range face removal until resolved.
- The commission is enhancing oversight by updating testing protocols, requiring digital certificates from labs, publishing test results publicly, and investigating falsified results, including suspending a lab.
- Efforts include developing an online portal and tipline to report noncompliance, supporting enforcement of new state laws and improving consumer protection.
Massachusetts marijuana regulators will begin auditing THC potency levels listed on product labels, with mislabeled products potentially subject to removal from the market.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission announced that it is launching the audits to ensure marijuana and marijuana products sold to consumers and medical patients comply with state labeling rules. Under commission regulations, products must include labels detailing the types of cannabinoids present and their respective amounts.
The state’s 11 independent testing laboratories evaluate THC content as part of required product testing.
Under the new auditing standard, a product would be considered out of compliance if its tested THC potency falls outside 75% to 125% of the amount listed on the label. Products found outside that range may be removed from the market through administrative action until the issue is resolved.
For example, the commission said a product labeled at 15% THC would have an acceptable range of 11.25% to 18.75%. If an audit found the product contained 4% THC, it would be considered out of compliance. If it tested at 12%, it would remain compliant.
“Verifying that marijuana and marijuana products are accurately labeled is critical to the Commission’s mission of safely, equitably, and effectively providing Massachusetts residents access to this industry,” Executive Director Travis Ahern said. “This effort aims to improve patient and consumer awareness statewide and takes into consideration that THC potency is variable for marijuana flower products, it degrades over time when it is stored, and other factors.”
In addition to limiting the sale of products found to be outside the threshold, the commission said it may refer matters involving mislabeled products to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Advocacy and Response Division.
The potency audits come as the commission continues broader efforts to strengthen product testing oversight. Recent steps include publishing updated testing protocols for review by independent testing laboratories, creating an internal testing task force, requiring laboratories to upload digital certificates of analysis after every product test, and publishing THC% and THCA% results on the agency’s Open Data platform.
The commission also issued a summary suspension order to Assured Testing Laboratories following an investigation into falsified test results, resulting in a stipulated agreement that included a fine and changes to the lab’s personnel and policies.
Work is also underway to implement Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026, including an online portal to accept reports of alleged noncompliance. The commission said a tipline for such complaints is already in development and will expand to include an online component.