Calculating Hemp THC Content

Revised Version:

On March 1, we launched an exciting new collaboration drink with Cookies in California: Cookies by Green Monké Iced Tea & Lemonade, featuring a potent 100mg of THC! Just in time for summer, we’ll also be launching similar 100mg drinks in Michigan and Illinois. These drinks are very potent, yet we’re thrilled they still taste amazing—even with 100mg of cannabis! We’re especially proud of their design (check it out here).

Important Note: These drinks will never be sold on this website or outside of the states mentioned because they exceed the federal legal THC limit for hemp-derived products. As a result, they are classified as cannabis (“marijuana”) and are illegal under U.S. federal law.

At Green Monké, we uphold the highest ethical and legal standards. We would never compromise our integrity or risk compliance with Amazon, our website host, SEO practices, or payment processors.

How Much Hemp-Derived Delta-9 THC Can Be in a Federally Legal Drink?

In a past blog post (read here), we explained that under the 2018 Farm Bill, a product must contain less than 0.3% THC to qualify as hemp-derived. Any product exceeding this limit is considered cannabis and is federally illegal.

For beverages, most of the weight is water, so if we calculated THC concentration based on total weight, we could technically produce extremely potent drinks. However, at Green Monké, we take the most conservative approach: we calculate THC content using the Dry Weight Equivalent method, which excludes water weight (even though water makes up more than 95% of our drinks).

Understanding Dry Weight Equivalent

Dry weight equivalent measures the concentration of THC in a product after removing all water content.

Factors in Calculation:

1. Dry Ingredients: Includes sugar, sweeteners, acids (e.g., citric, ascorbic), preservatives (e.g., potassium sorbate), and powdered colors.

2. Total Volume of the Drink: e.g., 355mL or 0.355L.

For example:

• Assume the product contains approximately 18g/L of dry ingredients.

• For a 355mL drink: 18 x 0.355 = 6.39g of dry weight.

• Maximum THC: 6.39 x 0.3% = 0.0197g = 19.7mg.

In this hypothetical scenario, the maximum allowable THC for this container size is 19mg.

Legal Certainty Through Straightforward Math

Thanks to precise ingredient measurements and clear calculations, we can guarantee the exact THC dosage in our drinks and confirm they comply with federal law. This certainty enables us to confidently label our products with a potency meter for transparency.

Potency Meter

We categorize THC doses as follows:

• Light: Less than 10mg

• Medium: Between 10mg and 20mg

• Strong: Above 20mg

This system ensures our customers know what to expect when enjoying our Happy Sodas. With Green Monké, you can always trust in both our quality and compliance.