What is a COA? Understanding Your CBD Products
What is a Certificate of Analysis?
A CoA, otherwise known as a Certificate of Analysis, is a report that reflects on the chemical composition of a certain sample, such as a CBD isolate. It is crucial to a consumer in understanding what exactly makes up their CBD product, as to feel safe in their brand choice. A CoA should contain elements that a product user wants to see, but there may be red flags that one will need to watch out for.
What is in a CoA?
The most basic elements of a Certificate of Analysis include cannabinoid types, concentrations, heavy metals, weight percentage, and a pesticide analysis. Cannabinoid types tell us all detectable cannabinoids, such as CBDV, and even THC. The concentration of the product shows us how much of the entire sample is made up by CBD itself.
Next, the heavy metal section tests how much of a heavy metal is in the sample. This is quite important, as when too much is ingested, it can be very dangerous to the consumer. The weight percentage simply tells us the percentage by weight of each detectable cannabinoid.
Lastly, the pesticide analysis is exactly how it sounds, as it shows us how much of a kind of pesticide is detected, and what the legal limit is. Although there may be more elements listed in a CoA, these are generally the most common.
What to Watch Out For
1. Testing In-House
When companies use third-party laboratories, it eliminates the concern of bias and faulty testing. Seeking an outside entity for CBD testing ensures a more trustful analysis.
2. High THC
It is not completely unheard of for CBD companies to not complete a CoA for the reason that their THC levels are too high. This may be illegal in states where the for-sale item is only labeled as a CBD product, and where THC sales have not passed in state legislation. If the amount of THC is greater than .3% weight, the product must disclose that it contains THC.
Why Should a CBD Company Always have a CoA?
Certificates of Analysis help a consumer (you) to better understand the product of interest. When a company does not offer their CoA publicly, it raises concern about their reputation. A CoA both directly and indirectly tells us a story about a sample, including its chemical composition and where exactly it was tested.
In fact, many companies do not offer a CoA at all, which makes it all the more appealing when a business displays their test results publicly. You can view Green Valley Nutrition’s CoA by clicking here.
