Putting proportions into perspective
- 50 mg/g = 5%
- 50 g/kg = 5%
- 50 ml/l = 5%
- 50 mg/kg = 0.005%
Per cent
We’re all quite used to the concept of percentages, having been introduced to them at school level already. The literal meaning is “per hundred”.
EXAMPLE: 1% = 1 out of every 100
To put 1% in perspective, think of it as the bit of a joint you get when sharing it equally with 99 of your closest friends.
Milligram per gram / part per thousand
In units of mass, a milligram per gram is the same as a part per thousand. The prefix “milli” refers to a thousandth.
EXAMPLE: 1 mg/g = 1 out of every 1 000
To put 1 mg/g in perspective, consider the portion of the width of a rugby field covered by the length of a 70mm joint.
Milligram per kilogram / part per million
While “milli” refers to a thousandth, the prefix “kilo” refers to a thousand. A gram is a thousand times a milligram, and a kilogram is a thousand times a gram. This means a milligram per kilogram is a part per million
EXAMPLE: 1 mg/kg or 1 ppm = 1 out of every 1 000 000
It’s harder to perceive such a minute amount. Imagine the part of the NI between Cape Town and Johannesburg traversed by lining up twenty 70mm joints. That is roughly a part per million.
Microgram per kilogram / part per billion
Going deeper, a microgram is a thousandth of a milligram, a millionth of a gram, and a billionth of a kilogram. This means a microgram per kilogram is a part per billion.
EXAMPLE: 1 µg/kg or 1 ppb = 1 out of every 1 000 000 000
A part per billion roughly equates to the length of five 70mm joints stacked on top of each other as a portion of the distance to the moon.
The units you can expect in our certificates of analysis
| mg/g & % | Potency & Cannabinoids, and Terpene Analysis |
| mg/ml | Potency & Cannabinoids, and Terpene Analysis on liquid samples where a Density Measurement was performed |
| g/ml | Density Measurement |
| % | Moisture Content and Total Ash |
| cfu/g | Microbial Count (colony forming units per gram) |
| ppm | Residual Solvents |
| µg/kg (ppb) | Heavy Metals |
| mg/kg (ppm) | Mycotoxins and Pesticides |
Thank goodness for the metric system!
