Skip to main content
Learn

Reading a Certificate of Analysis for CBD

Reviewing a CBD product’s Certificate of Analysis (COA) is an absolute must when dealing with today’s wild hemp CBD market. A COA can look intimidating, but Sativa Remedy breaks it down and shows you the key things to look for.

CBD, CBD Oil, Hemp, COA
Ask for a Certificate of Analysis the next time you buy any hemp-derived products.

How does it work?

CBD companies who are making hemp-derived products should be sending their products to a third party laboratory before retailing to customers. After performing a series of chemical analysis, the company is given a certificate with the results. These results contain vital information about the safety and potency of the product. This certificate should be obtainable and viewable for the customer.

If a company cannot provide these testing results, we recommend proceeding with caution.

A Certificate of Analysis will let you know a lot about a CBD product and the hemp that it was made from. In an age where store shelves are filled with expensive snake oils, a COA might be the only way that you, the customer, can verify whether your product:

  • Has the amount of CBD stated on the label, if any at all.
  • Has other components found in the hemp plant, CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.
  • Contains less than the 0.3% delta-9 THC limit set by federal guidelines.
  • Has contamination like heavy metals, pesticides, and mold.

Step 1. Locate the COA

Ask For a Certificate of Analysis.

This may seem like an elementary step, but believe it or not, there are many CBD products on the market that lack the proper testing to be considered safe to consume.

Look Online.

If you happen to find CBD oil at a local shop, see who manufactured the product. A quick online search or email is the best place to start. Any legitimate, transparent, CBD company will post their testing results on their website for you to view.

Don’t see one listed online? No reason to be alarmed just yet, some manufacturers will only send you their COAs upon request. If results are not posted, a quick email or message to the manufacturer may be needed.

If no COA can be produced, you have no way of verifying the legitimacy of your CBD, and risk spending your money on something that could not work and could actually be more harmful for you.

Step 2. How much CBD & THC.

CBD, CBD Oil, Hemp, COA
Take note of levels of CBD to ensure your label is accurate.

Although many COA’s can get complicated, you should at least know how to verify the amount of CBD & THC. Be able to answer the following 2 questions:

  1. Does my product have the amount of CBD as advertised on the label?
  2. Does my product meet the required federal limit of no more than 0.3% THC?

Step 3. Additional Testing

At a minimum, the testing results should specify the cannabinoid levels found in your product. Many laboratories offer other types of analysis such as heavy metals, pesticides, and bacteria testing. Each company that has their products tested, will either test for some or all of these testing categories.

Don’t fret.

If analyzing cannabinoids, terpenes, percentages, grams, dry weight, PPMs, isn’t your thing, then at a minimum, ensure that your product was at least tested by finding the COA.

Locating the COA for your hemp-CBD product should give you peace of mind that the manufacturer of your product dedicated resources and money to have it tested for accuracy and safety.

If you want Sativa Remedy to read your COA for you, we would be happy to! Send any COAs to info@sativaremedy.com and we will get back to you within 48 hours with a breakdown of the results for your CBD product.

Leave a Reply