With so many CBD stores and products on the market, it’s quite difficult to find the right one. Since the CBD world still lacks proper regulatory bodies, the Certificate of Analysis comes to your rescue. The COA helps you learn about the product’s quality and ingredients. COA testing is practically the only way to ascertain the quality of CBD products. What is a certificate of analysis CBD? It’s like a report from an accredited third-party laboratory revealing the true factual details regarding the substances.
There’s a need to educate the customers and the suppliers regarding the importance of considering third-party testing and COAs.
Significance Of COA
The COA is unbiased since it’s from a third-party laboratory. Educated consumers understand the significance of the COA when buying a CBD product. This acts as a practical verification of the quality and quantity of the ingredients. This is a standard that all CBD companies must comply with.
CBD companies with COA are the most trustworthy since they focus on the transparency of the product quality, making it easily accessible to each consumer. This way, the customers know what they’re paying for. As a consumer, you should never go for anything less than that.
- The COA testing helps the seller stand out among the other sellers by demonstrating proof of their products.
- As a consumer, the COA facilitates buying high-quality products and staying away from the fraudulent sellers in the market. In case a CBD vendor denies showing you the COA or claims that the product wasn’t ever tested, this is a big red flag.
How To Read a Certificate of Analysis?
Reading a certificate of analysis isn’t rocket science, however, you must be well-versed in the ins and outs of decoding it.
- Cannabinoid Profiles
The COA clearly states the cannabinoids present in the CBD products. You’ll even see the amount of the cannabinoids. In case you read the letters “ND” in front of a cannabinoid, it indicates that it’s not detected in the product. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s absent, it might be present in a negligible amount which isn’t detectable. This is where you get to know about the THC content in the product.
- Weight And Percentages
On the right side of the column where all the Cannabinoids are enlisted, lies the column of weight percentages. Here you can easily learn about the percentage of each of the Cannabinoids.
- Concentration
The concentration of each of the Cannabinoids is described in the form of milligrams per gram of the product. This part helps you check whether you’re receiving the promised potency of the product or not. If the 600mg CBD product’s label claims to contain 50 grams of CBD, there should be 12mg of CBD in each gram according to the COA.
- Heavy Metals And Impurities
If your CBD products contain a higher level of heavy metals, they can be toxic, leading to illness. This is why the COA contains a part mentioning the results of heavy metal analysis too. You’ll see two columns mentioning the list of heavy metals along with the safe limit declared by the authorities. This limit suggests the maximum amount of these heavy metals that are safe to consume for the body. The amount of heavy metals should be way less than the limit suggested.
- Pesticide analysis
Pesticides are used while growing the hemp plants. The products might contain some pesticide content because of that. The COA also mentions all the pesticides along with the amount.
Final Thoughts
Whenever you plan to buy CBD tinctures, oil, gummies, or any other products make sure to assess the COA beforehand. Remember that being a consumer it’s your right to have access to the COA.
