When it comes to purchasing CBD products, Canndid wants our customers to make informed decisions. That’s why we provide easily accessible CBD certificates of analysis for each of our products. To make it even easier to understand what goes into our products we will explain how to read a CBD Certificate of Analysis (COA), step by step.
What Is a CBD Certificate of Analysis?
To put it simply, a CBD certificate of analysis is a report which discloses the findings of laboratory testing. This certificate is a detailed document that provides information about the product, the testing lab, and the brand for the customer.
When it comes to hemp and CBD products, the ingredients can include various levels of cannabinoids, as well as terpenes. The purpose of a CBD Certificate of Analysis is to lay out all the ingredients, and their potency levels in an easily read format. This means that the information is readily available for the customer to access before purchasing the product.
Unlike the US CBD market, the UK industry isn’t held to official regulations when it comes to COA’s. However, if a supplier willingly shares this information it shows their commitment to transparency and quality assurance.
Where Can You Find a COA?
All Canndid products are tested by independent laboratories and all CBD COA are readily available for our customers.
Canndid provides premium quality products for our customers, and we wish to be as transparent as possible. This ensures that our customers can make informed decisions about the products they are purchasing.
Each product has a corresponding CBD COA and our customer service team are happy to provide you with this information if it’s needed.
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How to Read a COA
The term ‘CBD Certificate of Analysis’ may sound complex, but the purpose of this document is to clearly lay out information for the intended consumer. Therefore, these documents should be extremely easy to understand.
All Canndid COA testing reports are clearly and concisely written to ensure accessibility. To make the report even easier to understand we’ll go through it step by step, for your convenience.
The Header
In the header section of a CBD COA, you will find information about the testing laboratory. If products undergo testing by a third-party laboratory, you’ll find the lab details here. Third-party testing is beneficial because it ensures non-biased, accurate results are obtained.
Here you will find the name of the testing facility, and the address. You will also find their license and accreditation details. We provide this information in case you wish to look further into the testing facility or if you wanted to contact them directly.
When reading a CBD COA, we recommend that you first check the product information. Certificates of analysis for CBD products should provide the sample ID, product name, and the type of product. This ensures that the CBD COA that you’re reading matches up with the product that you’re interested in.
Certificates also provide the date of testing. This shows that we test product regularly and all COA testing results are up to date.
CAN – Cannabinoid Profile Analysis
This section of the COA testing report will provide you with a list of cannabinoids and other ingredients. The lab test the presence and potency of each of these ingredients and they display results in table format.
Under the ‘analyte’ column, you will see a list of well-known cannabinoids i.e. CBD, THC, CBN, etc. Alongside this list, there are columns labelled ‘Result %’, ‘Result mg / ml’, and ‘Result mg/ unit’. These columns show the potency of each of the mentioned cannabinoids.
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How to Read Results Columns
The ‘result %’ column shows the concentration of each cannabinoid from mg per gram to a percentage of the overall weight of the product. This means that you can quickly see if the product contains the desired amount of CBD for your needs.
This is important as you can clearly see what is in the product that you’re buying. For example, if you wish to buy a CBD isolate, this should just be CBD, with no other cannabinoids. Therefore, the certificate of analysis should show no other cannabinoids present.
Similarly, this makes it easy for you to check if the product is in line with government guidelines and regulations. Or you can quickly make sure that there aren’t any detectable traces of THC if you require a THC-free item.
You may see columns labelled ‘result mg / ml’, this column shows you how many mg of each cannabinoid is concentrated within every gram of the product. You may see ‘ND’ next to many of the cannabinoids listed. This means that these ingredients were not detected during COA tests.
The last ‘Result mg/unit’ column shows the concentration of each cannabinoid per overall weight of the product. For example, if the volume of the unit tested was 30 ml, the last column will show the concentration of each ingredient per 30 ml.
Limit of Detection and Limit of Quantification
You may also notice two columns labelled ‘LOD’ and ‘LOQ’ – these stand for the ‘limit of detection, and limit of quantification. The limit of detection simply means the lowest concentration of the analyte that can be accurately detected. The limit of quantification means the lowest concentration of that can be reliably measured.
Safety Testing Results
Some suppliers will also include safety testing results alongside a CBD certificate of analysis. Although it’s not necessary, some choose to show the results to aid with transparency.
These safety tests search for the presence of contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, microorganisms, and solvents. In the ‘analyte’ column you will see a list of common toxins that may cause illness.
The following column is often referred to as the ‘action level’ and shows measurements in ppm or ppb. 1 ppm equals 1 mg/kg and 1 ppb equals 1 uk/kg – these are tiny amounts. For example, if the action level is 500 ppm for a toxin, the product can safely contain 500 mg of that particular toxin without causing harm.
The Footer
Underneath the cannabinoid profile analysis, you will see the footer. Here you will find a key for reading the above table. The key explains each abbreviation like ‘ND’ and ‘N/A’. This helps to clarify the results mentioned in the above COA test results table.
In the footer, you may also see a QR code. You can scan this QR code on any smartphone to verify the authenticity of the CBD COA. In addition, you will also see more information about the accreditation of the COA testing lab. This should be readily available to ensure transparency and accountability.
On the right-hand side, you will see a signature. This is usually the signature of the laboratory director or head laboratory technician. This means that the lab stands by the results, and they guarantee the results are accurate and reliable.
At the very bottom of the CBD certificate of analysis, you will see the contact information of the COA testing laboratory and their certifications. This information is available to ensure that the lab is legally compliant and their methods and results are accurate.
It also makes it easier for the customer to contact the lab directly, should they have any more questions. All labs must have a license number but a (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) CLIA number is not necessary to test hemp and cannabis. A CLIA number ensures that the lab has strict protocols in place to meet medical-grade lab standards.
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Key Points to Look Out For
When reviewing CBD certificates of analysis there are a few things to keep an eye out for. For example, if key information is missing from the CBD COA, it may mean something isn’t quite right. If you cannot easily find the accreditations or certifications for the testing lab or there is contact information missing, it may be something to be wary of.
Similarly, one should pay particular attention to the cannabinoids listed. For example, ensuring the cannabinoids advertised match with the cannabinoids listed. Common cannabinoids should not be missing from the list either. One should also always check the amount of THC listed.
Conclusion
All CBD products should undergo strict testing to ensure that the products are safe to use and abide by government regulations. These COA test results should be readily available for potential consumers. Therefore, they can make informed decisions about the products that they are purchasing.
Canndid is open and honest about the products that we supply, and we are confident that they are of the highest quality. Therefore, we wish to be as transparent as possible about our products.
If you are considering purchasing CBD products you should always read the CBD COA before making a purchase. If the COA in question is missing key information, it is something to be wary of. That being said, if you have any questions regarding the COA or testing of Canndid products, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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