Most disposable THC vapes sold in legal US shops test between 70% and 90% THC by weight. Distillate disposables usually land near the top of that range, live resin and cured resin ones sit lower, and a 0.5 gram device at 85% holds roughly 425 mg of THC. That is far more than a 10 mg edible, so read the percentage as a strength rating, not a serving size.

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What the percentage actually measures

The number on the box is THC by weight. One gram of oil at 80% THC contains about 800 mg of THC. The rest is terpenes, minor cannabinoids, carrier ingredients in some formulations, and small residuals. Vape oil is decarbed, so THCA is usually low and most of the label is active THC. When a label says "total THC" it may still include a small THCA conversion, so compare like with like before you judge two products against each other.

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Typical ranges by product type

Numbers above 90% exist, but they often mean added THC isolate and very little terpene content. Potency and quality are not the same thing. A 72% live resin disposable with real strain terpenes can hit harder and taste better than a 94% distillate device, because the experience depends on the whole profile and on how much you actually inhale.

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Turning the percentage into milligrams

Multiply the device weight in grams by 1,000, then by the percentage. A 0.5 g vape at 85% is 500 x 0.85, or 425 mg of THC. A 1 g vape at 75% is 750 mg. Then divide by your session dose. At 5 mg per session, that 0.5 g device covers about 85 sessions. At 25 mg it covers about 17. Vape hits are easy to underestimate because a single draw delivers a small amount fast, and people often take several without counting.

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Why two labels can disagree

State testing rules allow a variance band around the labeled potency, and labs do not all run the same method. Colorado, for example, sets potency variance limits for regulated products and requires THC labeling, which is why a tested 82% can legally ship as something close to it. Batch variation in flower and extraction moves numbers by several points on its own. Many states also require per-serving math on edibles but not on vapes, so the buyer does the division.

How I read a vape label

  1. Find total THC in milligrams, not just the percentage.
  2. Check the device weight, since a 0.3 g disposable is not a 1 g one.
  3. Look for a batch number and test date.
  4. Check terpene content if flavor matters to you.
  5. Start low. New users should aim for 2 to 3 mg, which is one short draw on most devices, and wait 15 minutes before another.

Tolerance changes everything. Daily users often need 20 mg or more per session to feel the same effect that 5 mg gave them a year earlier. Take a short break instead of chasing a higher percentage, and the label math gets simpler.