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Illinois cannabis labels must now show Total THC. Here's what changed, and how bundles differ from variety packs

The short answer: Since Nov. 1, 2026, Illinois cannabis product labels must list Total THC, which counts THC plus THCA multiplied by 0.877, along with any other cannabinoid above set levels and a note if the product contains hemp, the Illinois Department of Agriculture says. A separate October alert sets labeling and testing rules for bundles and variety packs.

State rules gave licensed cannabis businesses until Nov. 1 to add Total THC, more cannabinoids and a hemp notice to product labels. A new state alert also spells out what counts as a bundle versus a variety pack.

By Published Last updated 6 sources linked
High-performance liquid chromatography instruments and a computer monitor on a laboratory bench
A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) lab, the kind of instrument testing labs use to measure cannabinoids. File photo from February 2021; not an Illinois lab. Photo: DMDaSilva / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · CC BY-SA 4.0

What changed

JCAR approved IDOA's CRTA rule changes on April 14, 2026; labels must list Total THC = THC + (THCA x 0.877), calculated by the testing lab on the COA; besides THC, THCA, CBD and CBDA, labels must list cannabinoids over 0.3% by weight or 0.4 mg per the COA; labels must indicate hemp content; licensees had until Nov. 1, 2026; ingredient changes need an updated Product Registration. Sources below

Since Nov. 1, 2026, Illinois cannabis product labels must list Total THC, which counts THC plus THCA multiplied by 0.877, along with any other cannabinoid above set levels and a note if the product contains hemp, the Illinois Department of Agriculture says. A separate October alert sets labeling and testing rules for bundles and variety packs.

Key facts - Deadline: licensed businesses had until Nov. 1, 2026, to update labels (IDOA) - Total THC = THC + (THCA x 0.877), worked out by the testing lab - Other cannabinoids must be listed above 0.3% by weight, or above 0.4 mg in infused products - Products made with hemp inputs must say so on the label - Rule changes approved April 14, 2026; bundle and variety pack alert issued October 2026

What changed on Illinois cannabis labels?

Three things, according to the Department of Agriculture's Spring 2026 Rule Updates bulletin. The legislature's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved the rule changes on April 14, 2026, and the department gave licensed businesses until Nov. 1, 2026, to put them on labels.

  • Total THC. Labels must now list a single Total THC figure.
  • More cannabinoids. Labels already had to list THC, THCA, CBD and CBDA. Now they must also list any other cannabinoid on the product's Certificate of Analysis at more than 0.3% by weight, or more than 0.4 milligrams for infused products such as edibles.
  • A hemp notice. If a product contains hemp inputs, the label must say so, either in the ingredient list (the bulletin's example is "Hemp-derived CBD isolate") or in a separate line such as "This product contains Hemp."

Any change to a product's ingredient list also needs an updated product registration with the state, the bulletin says.

What does Total THC mean?

It's a calculation, not a separate test. The rule defines Total THC as THC plus THCA multiplied by 0.877, and the bulletin says the licensed testing lab should calculate it on the product's Certificate of Analysis. The Marijuana Herald, reporting on the deadline Oct. 13, describes the 0.877 factor as accounting for THCA converting to THC when it's heated. The state's Understanding Labels page explains the same conversion for consumers.

The adopted rule text says infused products may list Total THC and other cannabinoids in milligrams. It also says the labeled amounts must fall within 85% to 115% of what's printed, citing the state cannabis law at 410 ILCS 705/55-21(e).

Is this the same "total THC" as the Nov. 12 hemp rules?

No. This label term applies to licensed cannabis products. The separate hemp law that takes effect Nov. 12 uses a broader "total THC" count, including delta-8 and other forms, to decide whether a hemp product over 0.4 milligrams per container is treated as cannabis. Our Nov. 12 hemp explainer covers that line.

The same rule update also limits which hemp inputs licensed cannabis businesses can use: only CBD, CBG, THCV and CBN in isolate form, and only in infused products such as edibles, beverages, topicals and tinctures, the bulletin says.

What's the difference between a bundle and a variety pack?

The Department of Agriculture set it out in Compliance Alert CA-2026-10, issued in October and reported by Illinois News Joint on Oct. 31. The alert says its aim is to help avoid products with misleading labels.

Bundles, sometimes called flights, are separate products sold together, such as three different packages of gummies. They don't have to be wrapped or banded together. Under the alert:

  • Each item is registered, labeled and tested on its own, with its own traceable Certificate of Analysis.
  • Each item's label must stay visible. Any outer packaging shouldn't cover labels, ingredient lists or warnings, and shouldn't carry its own seed-to-sale tracking tag.

Variety packs, sometimes called multi-packs, put different varieties of one product in a single package, kept distinct, such as three gummy flavors separated by a divider or by color. Under the alert:

  • The pack needs its own product registration and is labeled as one product, with the contents listed on the outside.
  • Each variety is tested separately before the pack is assembled, and each one's potency must be shown on the single label. A combined potency test of the whole pack isn't currently required.
  • Information that applies to only one variety must be labeled so you can tell which it belongs to. The state's example: "Lemon Vape: [required information]; Strawberry Vape: [required information]."

What can't go in a variety pack?

The alert bars mixing product types or dose sizes. A pack can't combine an edible with a vape, and a gummy pack can't mix a 5 mg THC gummy with a 10 mg THC gummy. Variety packs also have to stay within the state's maximum THC per package.

Combining items also ties them together in the state's tracking system. The alert warns that a problem with one item can lead to administrative holds or recalls on everything that went into the pack. If a business uses the tracking system's Retail ID feature, scanning the QR code on a multi-pack label shows the lab results for each item inside, the alert says.

Where can I check a label?

The Certificate of Analysis is the lab report behind the numbers on the label. The state's Understanding Labels page walks through each label field. Questions about label rules go to the department at AGR.CannabisProdRegs@illinois.gov, according to the bulletin, and it posts new guidance on its compliance alerts page.

For what licensed businesses can and can't say in ads, see our advertising rules explainer.

Sources

More state rules: see our Illinois rules tracker.

Photo: DMDaSilva / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) lab, the kind of instrument testing labs use to measure cannabinoids. File photo from February 2021; not an Illinois lab.

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Highline Report newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.

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Key facts and where they come from

  • JCAR approved IDOA's CRTA rule changes on April 14, 2026; labels must list Total THC = THC + (THCA x 0.877), calculated by the testing lab on the COA; besides THC, THCA, CBD and CBDA, labels must list cannabinoids over 0.3% by weight or 0.4 mg per the COA; labels must indicate hemp content; licensees had until Nov. 1, 2026; ingredient changes need an updated Product Registration. source 1
  • Adopted 1300.930(b)(8): (D) total THC amount; (E) may be listed in milligrams for infused products; (F) tolerances not below 85% or above 115% of the labeled amount [410 ILCS 705/55-21(e)]; (G) indication product contains hemp, if applicable. source 1
  • Only CBD, CBG, THCV and CBN isolates may be brought in as hemp inputs, only for infused products; product registration fee cut from $100 to $25. source 1
  • Bundles: separately packaged, labeled and registered products grouped together ('flights'); each registered, labeled and tested individually with its own COA; outer packaging should not hide labels or carry an extra seed-to-sale tag. Variety packs ('multi-packs'): distinct varieties in one package; own registration; contents listed outside; each varietal tested before assembly; individual potency results on the single label; no composite potency test currently required; no mixing product types or dose sizes; must meet per-package THC limits; holds or recalls may apply to everything combined. source 1 · source 2
  • Metrc Retail ID: scanning the QR code on a multi-pack label displays all the individual CoAs, if the facility uses Retail ID. source 1