Plain definitions for every term on a label or a COA.
Terms that appear on product labels, lab reports, in state statutes and in Federal Register documents, defined in plain language with a citation each. Hemp terms cover cannabinoids, spectrum types, formats, lab panels and the 2026 federal rule; kratom and kava terms cover the alkaloids, lab reports and the scheduling vocabulary.
The 0.4 mg cap is the federal limit on total THC and similar cannabinoids in a finished hemp-derived cannabinoid product, measured per innermost container, under the amended hemp definition. It applies December 11, 2026. A product over the cap is not hemp, regardless of its percentage THC.
A minor alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa that DEA says makes up less than 2 percent of the plant's total alkaloid content. Concentrated or converted 7-OH products are the subject of 2025 FDA warning letters and a 2026 DEA notice proposing Schedule I above 1 mg per gram or milliliter or below a 100-to-1 mitragynine ratio.
The second prong of DEA's October 2026 proposal and of Florida's June 2026 rule: a product is covered when the mass of mitragynine divided by the mass of 7-hydroxymitragynine (or pseudoindoxyl, or both) is less than 100. Computed from two rows of the potency panel; it separates leaf-derived products from concentrated 7-OH.
The 2018 Farm Bill is the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334, signed December 20, 2018. Section 10113 defined hemp as Cannabis sativa L. with not more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, and section 12619 removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. It created the legal hemp-derived CBD market.
Adult Signature Required is a carrier delivery service in which the driver releases the package only to a person aged 21 or older who shows government ID. UPS requires it for every domestic shipment of hemp or hemp derivatives. It adds a per-package fee and stops drop-off without a signature.
A nitrogen-containing compound produced by a plant. Kratom lab reports quantify the leaf's alkaloids, chiefly mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine; kava reports quantify kavalactones instead, which are not alkaloids. State caps are written either per alkaloid in milligrams or as a share of the total alkaloid fraction.
The total alkaloid content of a product, against which some states measure 7-hydroxymitragynine as a percentage: no more than 2 percent of the alkaloid fraction in Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, and 1 percent in Virginia and Mississippi. Different from a per-gram or per-serving cap.
A batch or lot number is the code a manufacturer assigns to 1 production run so every unit can be traced to its ingredients, date and lab results. It appears on the label and on the certificate of analysis. USPS requires hemp mailers to keep the records behind it for at least 3 years.
Bioavailability is the fraction of a dose that reaches the bloodstream unchanged. For CBD it varies by route. Animal studies put oral bioavailability near 13 to 19 percent, smoking in humans near 31 percent, and taking CBD with food raised exposure about 5 fold in one study. Formulation and fat intake drive the number.
Broad-spectrum describes a hemp extract that keeps most cannabinoids and terpenes but has THC removed to non-detect levels, usually by chromatography. It sits between full-spectrum and isolate. Verified ND THC at a low limit of quantitation is what lets broad-spectrum products clear the 0.4 mg per container cap.
Cannabichromene, or CBC, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid formed from CBGA by the CBCA synthase enzyme. It is one of the more abundant minor cannabinoids in hemp and appears in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts in small amounts, typically well under 1 percent of an extract.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid made by the Cannabis sativa L. plant. Hemp-derived CBD comes from plants at or below 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. It is the main cannabinoid in most hemp tinctures, gummies, softgels and topicals.
Cannabigerol, or CBG, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid. Its acid form, CBGA, is the plant precursor that enzymes convert into CBDA, THCA and CBCA. Most hemp strains hold under 1 percent CBG by the time of harvest, so CBG products usually come from high-CBG cultivars or isolate.
Cannabinol, or CBN, is a mildly psychoactive cannabinoid that forms when THC oxidizes with age, heat and light. Fresh hemp contains almost none. Most commercial CBN is made by converting CBD in a lab, which matters under the federal rule for cannabinoids made outside the plant.
Cannabis sativa L. is the botanical name of the plant species that includes both hemp and marijuana. The L. credits Linnaeus, who first published the name. Federal hemp and marijuana definitions both start from this species name, and NIH counts about 540 chemical substances in the plant.
A carrier oil is the fat that cannabinoid extract is dissolved in to make a tincture or softgel. MCT oil, medium-chain triglycerides from coconut or palm kernel, is the most common because it is clear, stable and absorbs well. Hemp seed, olive and avocado oils are alternatives. Fat improves cannabinoid absorption.
CB1 and CB2 are the two classic cannabinoid receptors. CB1 is the most abundant cannabinoid receptor in the central nervous system and mediates THC's intoxication. CB2 sits mainly on immune cells. THC is a partial agonist at both; CBD binds them weakly and acts through other routes.
Cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA, is the raw acid form of CBD that the living hemp plant actually produces. Heat removes a carboxyl group and converts CBDA to CBD, a step called decarboxylation. Unheated raw hemp extracts carry mostly CBDA, and labs report it as a separate line.
Cannabidivarin, or CBDV, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that matches CBD except for a shorter side chain: 3 carbons instead of 5. It occurs in trace amounts in most hemp and in larger amounts in certain landrace varieties. Labs list it separately on a full cannabinoid panel.
Cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, is the first cannabinoid the hemp plant assembles and the branch point for the rest. Enzymes convert CBGA into CBDA, THCA or CBCA. Heat converts leftover CBGA into CBG. Labs report CBGA as its own line on a certificate of analysis.
A laboratory's report on one sample or batch: who tested it and under what accreditation, who submitted it, the sample ID and dates, and the results with their LOD and LOQ. For kratom the core is the alkaloid table in percent, mg per gram, mg per serving and mg per unit; for hemp it is cannabinoid potency with total THC in milligrams per container. A complete one also carries a product lot number and a contaminant panel.
The part of a lab report that tests for what should not be present: heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury), a microbial panel, and for extracts residual solvents. Lead is the documented kratom concern; a 2020 Proposition 65 notice alleged lead in kratom powder. The reports linked here have no contaminant panel.
Crude oil is the first-pass hemp extract that comes off an ethanol, CO2 or hydrocarbon extraction before any refinement. It contains cannabinoids along with fats, waxes, chlorophyll and terpenes, and it is the least concentrated of the 3 common extract grades. Winterization and distillation refine it further.
Crystal-resistant distillate, or CRD, is a hemp distillate formulated so its CBD stays liquid instead of crystallizing. Processors keep or add enough minor cannabinoids and terpenes that CBD cannot form a pure crystal lattice. CRD is used in vape cartridges and oils where solidification would be a defect.
Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol is an isomer of delta-9 THC with the double bond moved one position. It is intoxicating. Hemp contains almost none, so commercial delta-8 is made by converting CBD with acids and solvents. FDA has not evaluated any delta-8 product for safety.
Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol is the main intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis. Federal law uses it to separate hemp from marijuana: hemp holds not more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. From December 11, 2026, the test shifts to total THC, which also counts THCa.
Distillate is a refined hemp extract made by heating crude oil under vacuum so cannabinoids vaporize and recondense, leaving fats, chlorophyll and most terpenes behind. CBD distillate is far more concentrated than crude, with minor cannabinoids and, unless remediated, some THC. It is the base for many full and broad-spectrum products.
The DEA docket for 7-hydroxymitragynine scheduling: the 2026-07-06 notice of intent at 91 FR 40917, withdrawn and reissued on 2026-10-14 at 91 FR 65370 with the 1 mg per gram and 100-to-1 thresholds and an order possible on or after 2026-11-13. The companion docket for pseudoindoxyl and the MGM compounds is DEA-1644.
The endocannabinoid system is a signaling network in the body made of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), the body's own cannabinoids (anandamide and 2-AG), and the enzymes that make and break them down (FAAH and MAGL). Plant cannabinoids act on this system, which is why CBD and THC have effects.
The entourage effect is the hypothesis that cannabinoids and terpenes act together, so a whole-plant extract behaves differently from its isolated parts. Russo's 2011 review made the case from preclinical data. It is the main argument for full-spectrum products, and controlled human evidence for it remains limited.
The FDA disclaimer is the 2-sentence statement 21 CFR 101.93 requires next to any structure/function claim on a dietary supplement: that FDA has not evaluated the statement, and that the product is not meant to address any health condition. It must appear verbatim, in a box or set off, on the same panel as the claim.
The daily journal of the United States government in which agency rules, proposed rules and notices are published; a citation such as 91 FR 54948 means volume 91, page 54948. Every federal action on kratom alkaloids appears there first, which is why this store's watcher reads its DEA and FDA feed every day.
Full-spectrum describes a hemp extract that keeps the plant's whole cannabinoid and terpene profile, including delta-9 THC up to the 0.3 percent hemp limit. It contrasts with broad-spectrum (THC removed) and isolate (CBD only). Under the 0.4 mg per container cap, most full-spectrum products will need reformulation.
A CBD gummy is a chewable confection with cannabinoid extract blended into a pectin or gelatin base and dosed per piece. Gummies are swallowed and absorbed through the gut. The whole jar or pouch counts as 1 innermost container under the federal THC cap, not each gummy.
A heavy metals panel tests a hemp product for arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, the 4 metals most state cannabis rules require. Hemp takes up metals from soil readily, so testing matters. Labs use ICP-MS and report each metal in parts per million against a limit that varies by state.
Hemp is Cannabis sativa L., and any part of the plant, with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. The 2018 Farm Bill removed it from the Controlled Substances Act. An amended definition using total THC and a 0.4 mg per container cap takes effect December 11, 2026.
Hexahydrocannabinol, or HHC, is a hydrogenated form of THC. It is intoxicating. Commercial HHC is made from hemp CBD in 2 steps: conversion to THC, then hydrogenation. It reached the market in 2021 and is not a cannabinoid the plant produces in meaningful amounts.
Innermost container is the statutory unit for the 0.4 mg THC cap. Section 781 defines container as the innermost wrapping, packaging or vessel in direct contact with a final hemp-derived cannabinoid product, excluding bulk shipping containers and outer wrappings. It applies December 11, 2026.
ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. The current edition is ISO/IEC 17025:2017. A lab accredited to it by a body such as A2LA or ANAB has shown that its methods, equipment, staff and quality system produce valid results. It is the credential to look for on a hemp COA.
The international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation to it means an independent body has audited the laboratory's methods, equipment, staff and records for the tests in its scope and issued a number that can be looked up. Texas requires kratom testing at an ISO 17025 laboratory.
CBD isolate is cannabidiol purified to a crystalline powder, with terpenes, other cannabinoids and THC removed. It is flavorless, dissolves in oils, and is the simplest product class to verify as non-detect THC. Isolates of CBG, CBN and CBC are made the same way.
The class of compounds measured in kava root and stated on kava labels as a percentage of the root (5 to 7 percent for Vanuatu root at one seller) or as milligrams per serving (50 mg per gummy at another). Not an alkaloid. The figure this store will print from a lab report once a kava product is sourced.
The family of state statutes that regulate rather than ban kratom: an age (21 in most, 18 in some), a cap on 7-hydroxymitragynine, a ban on synthetic alkaloids, and label content. DEA counted nineteen such states in October 2026; Delaware, Minnesota and Wyoming added statutes in 2026.
A product made by pulling the alkaloids out of Mitragyna speciosa leaf and concentrating them, sold as tablets, shots and tinctures. The extract tablets reported on this store hold 57 to 70 mg of mitragynine each, about 20 times a pressed leaf tablet. Ohio and Utah bar extracts while permitting leaf.
Dried, ground Mitragyna speciosa leaf sold as powder, in capsules or pressed into tablets, at roughly 1 to 1.3 percent mitragynine by one seller's published figures, about 3 mg per 300 mg tablet. This store's regulatory class kratom_leaf has its own state rows: Ohio ships leaf and bars extract.
The lowest concentration at which a method can tell that a compound is present at all, below the limit of quantitation. A result between LOD and LOQ is detected but not quantified. On the kratom reports linked here the mitragynine LOD is 0.018 ppm and the speciociliatine LOD 0.004 ppm; a hemp report should print both limits for THC so a not-detected result can be judged.
The lowest concentration at which a laboratory has validated that its reported number is accurate and repeatable. Results below it are reported as less than LOQ or not detected, never as zero. On the kratom reports linked here the mitragynine LOQ is 0.054 ppm and the 7-hydroxymitragynine LOQ 0.025 ppm; for hemp, a low THC LOQ is what makes a not-detected result meaningful under the 0.4 mg per container cap.
Live resin is an extract made from cannabis or hemp that was frozen immediately at harvest instead of dried and aged. Freezing preserves volatile terpenes that drying loses, so live resin has a stronger aroma and flavor. The term describes the starting material, not the cannabinoid content.
Marijuana, spelled marihuana in the statute, is all parts of the Cannabis sativa L. plant and its resin, seeds and preparations, except hemp as defined in 7 U.S.C. 1639o and certain mature stalks, fiber and sterile seeds. It remains a Schedule I controlled substance federally, with 1 defining line: THC content above the hemp limit.
Dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine, a federal Schedule I substance at any concentration since 2026-08-26 under 91 FR 54948. Tablets marketed as OPM tabs in 2026 contained it; published lab reports for one such line show 18 to 21 mg per tablet. Never carried by this store.
9-fluoro-dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine, a federal Schedule I substance at any concentration since 2026-08-26 under 91 FR 54948, scheduled alongside MGM-15 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl before it was commercially marketed. Never carried by this store.
A microbial panel tests a hemp product for bacteria, yeast and mold. Typical targets are total aerobic count, total yeast and mold, E. coli, Salmonella and Aspergillus species. Flower and edibles are the highest-risk formats. Methods include culture plating and DNA-based qPCR, with limits set by state.
The amount of an alkaloid in one serving as the manufacturer defines it, computed as concentration times serving mass: 82.81 mg per gram times a 0.69 g tablet is 57.14 mg. The unit most state caps use (Georgia 150 mg mitragynine, 1 mg 7-OH; Virginia and Maryland 1 mg 7-OH) and the figure every product page here prints.
The botanical name of the kratom tree, native to Southeast Asia. Statutes define kratom by it: Virginia's code says kratom means any part of the leaf of the plant Mitragyna speciosa or any extract thereof. The leaf and its principal alkaloid, mitragynine, are not federally controlled.
The principal alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa leaf and the figure a kratom lab report leads with, stated in percent, mg per gram, mg per serving and mg per package. Not a federally controlled substance; it appears in the pending federal rule only as the numerator of a 100-to-1 ratio against 7-hydroxymitragynine.
A compound DEA placed in federal Schedule I at any concentration on 2026-08-26, together with MGM-15 and MGM-16, describing all three as produced through synthetic modification of purified isolates. Products marketed as pseudo or OPM tablets used it. Never carried by this store.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by molds, mainly aflatoxins from Aspergillus and ochratoxin A. They can form on hemp that was dried or stored damp and survive extraction and heat. Labs test for them separately from the microbial panel because the toxin can remain after the mold is gone.
ND, or non-detect, means a lab did not find a compound above its limit of detection. On a hemp COA it most often refers to THC. ND is only as strong as the printed limit: ND at 0.001 percent proves far more than ND at 0.1 percent. ND THC is the target under the 0.4 mg cap.
A trade term for kava cultivars traditionally used for drinking in the Pacific, as distinct from other varieties; sellers print it on labels (one kava-and-kratom tonic lists noble kava root as its first ingredient). The term describes a cultivar class, not a measured value; the measured value is kavalactone content.
A lab result meaning the compound was not seen above the method's detection floor. It is not zero. Its meaning depends on the limit of quantitation printed with it, which is why this store shows ND together with the LOQ and never prints an absence claim. Maryland's regulator rejects ND on a label.
The Federal Register document DEA publishes before a temporary scheduling order, stating which substances it intends to control and giving at least 30 days before an order can issue. The 7-OH notices of 2026-07-06 (91 FR 40917) and 2026-10-14 (91 FR 65370) are notices of intent; neither is itself an order.
The PACT Act of 2010, amended in 2021 to cover electronic nicotine delivery systems, regulates remote sales of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and vaping products. Sellers must register with ATF and state tax administrators, file monthly reports, verify age and use adult signature delivery. USPS mail is banned.
A minor kratom leaf alkaloid included in five-alkaloid potency panels (mitragynine, 7-OH, paynantheine, speciogynine, speciociliatine) at some laboratories. The reports linked from this store did not quantify it, because the method ordered covered mitragynine and speciociliatine only.
A pesticide panel screens a hemp product for residues of insecticides, fungicides, miticides and plant growth regulators. Few pesticides are registered for hemp, so any detection is a problem. Labs use LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS to test for dozens of compounds, with analyte lists and limits set state by state.
The part of a kratom lab report that quantifies alkaloids: mitragynine and, on fuller panels, 7-hydroxymitragynine, paynantheine, speciogynine and speciociliatine, each in percent, mg per gram, mg per serving and mg per unit with LOD and LOQ. The reports linked here are potency panels only, with no contaminant results.
A potency test measures how much of each cannabinoid a sample contains, reported as percent by weight and, for finished products, milligrams per unit. Labs use liquid chromatography, which measures acid and neutral forms separately. Total THC is then calculated as delta-9 THC plus 0.877 times THCa per USDA rules.
Public Law 119-103 is the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, enacted September 2, 2026. Section 2019 delays most of the section 781 hemp definition until December 11, 2026, leaving only the exclusion for cannabinoids the plant cannot naturally produce in force on November 12, 2026.
A resale certificate, called a reseller permit in some states, is the document a buyer gives a seller to purchase goods for resale without paying sales tax. The seller keeps it on file and reports the sale as wholesale. Washington permits run 4 years and sellers must keep the paperwork 5 years.
Residual solvents are traces of ethanol, butane, propane, hexane or other extraction solvents left in a hemp extract after processing. Labs test for them by headspace gas chromatography and report each against a limit. CO2 extraction leaves none, which is one reason it is marketed as cleaner.
A roll-on is a cannabinoid topical packaged in a tube with a rolling ball applicator, usually a liquid or gel with cooling or warming ingredients such as menthol. It applies a thin layer without touching the product. Like other topicals, it acts locally and delivers little cannabinoid into the bloodstream.
The most restrictive schedule under the federal Controlled Substances Act, listed at 21 CFR 1308.11. Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 were added temporarily on 2026-08-26; 7-hydroxymitragynine above a threshold is proposed. A Schedule I article cannot be mailed by any carrier. States keep their own Schedule I lists.
Section 781 of Public Law 119-37, enacted November 12, 2025, rewrote the federal hemp definition. It counts total THC including THCa, excludes cannabinoids made outside the plant or not naturally produced by it, caps finished products at 0.4 mg THC per innermost container, and took effect 365 days after enactment, subject to a partial delay.
A softgel is a sealed gelatin or plant-based capsule filled with cannabinoid extract in carrier oil. Each one holds 1 fixed dose, with no taste and no dropper. Softgels are swallowed, so absorption follows the oral route and improves when taken with food.
A minor kratom leaf alkaloid quantified on some potency reports. The extract tablet reports linked from this store show it at 0.13 to 0.15 percent of mass, about 1 mg per tablet, beside 57 to 70 mg of mitragynine. Its presence is one marker that an extract came from leaf.
A minor kratom leaf alkaloid and a diastereomer of mitragynine, included in five-alkaloid potency panels at some laboratories. Together with paynantheine and speciociliatine it forms the leaf signature that a converted 7-OH product lacks.
A structure/function claim describes how a nutrient or ingredient affects the normal structure or function of the body, such as supports calm or part of a sleep routine. Under 21 CFR 101.93 it needs substantiation, the FDA disclaimer, and notice to FDA within 30 days. It may not name or imply a health condition.
Sublingual means held under the tongue. Tincture instructions usually say to hold the oil there for a minute or so before swallowing so some CBD crosses the thin mucosa directly, bypassing first-pass liver metabolism. Pharmacokinetic data show sublingual and oromucosal routes reach the bloodstream faster than swallowing alone.
An order under 21 U.S.C. 811(h) by which DEA places a substance in Schedule I for two years, extendable by one, without the full rulemaking process, after a notice of intent and at least 30 days. The 2026-08-26 order at 91 FR 54948 is one; the pending 7-OH order would be another.
Terpenes are the aromatic hydrocarbons that give hemp its smell and flavor. Myrcene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene, pinene and linalool are the most common. They are volatile, so drying and heat reduce them. Terpenes are part of the roughly 540 compounds NIH counts in the cannabis plant.
THC-O-acetate is a synthetic ester of THC made by reacting THC with acetic anhydride. It does not occur in the plant. When vaped, the acetate group breaks down into ketene, a toxic gas, according to 2022 laboratory work. It is excluded from the federal hemp definition.
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or THCa, is the non-intoxicating acid form of THC that the plant makes. Heat converts it to delta-9 THC. USDA counts it in total THC using the factor 0.877, and the federal hemp definition will include it from December 11, 2026.
Tetrahydrocannabiphorol, or THCP, is a THC analog with a 7-carbon side chain instead of the 5 carbons in delta-9 THC. Italian researchers first isolated it from cannabis in 2019 and reported much stronger CB1 binding than THC. It occurs in trace amounts, so commercial THCP is made by synthesis.
Tetrahydrocannabivarin, or THCV, is the propyl analog of THC, with a 3-carbon side chain instead of 5. In laboratory assays it behaves differently from THC, acting as a CB1 antagonist at low concentrations. It is counted as a tetrahydrocannabinol under the amended federal hemp definition.
A hemp tincture is cannabinoid extract dissolved in a carrier oil, usually MCT or hemp seed oil, and packaged in a dropper bottle. Traditional tinctures used alcohol; most CBD tinctures today are oils. A 30 mL bottle labeled 1,000 mg holds about 33 mg CBD per 1 mL dropper. Dosed under the tongue or swallowed.
A topical is a cannabinoid product applied to the skin: a salve, balm, cream or lotion. Topicals act locally and deliver little cannabinoid into the bloodstream, unlike transdermal patches engineered to pass through the skin. They are regulated as cosmetics when their claims stay cosmetic.
Total THC is the sum of delta-9 THC plus 0.877 times THCa, which accounts for the acid that heat converts to THC. USDA uses this formula for hemp crop testing. From December 11, 2026 the federal hemp definition also uses total tetrahydrocannabinols, with a 0.4 mg per container cap on finished products.
Water-soluble CBD is cannabinoid oil broken into droplets measured in nanometers so it disperses evenly in water. It is more accurately called water-dispersible. Nano-emulsions are used in beverages and some tinctures, and animal data show higher absorption than plain oil.