Understanding a CBD Certificate Of Analysis

We emphasize it all of the time, and it’s worth stating every opportunity we get: CBD products are NOT created equal. Some CBD brands and the products they sell contain higher-quality CBD than others, and it’s important to make sure that the CBD brand you use is of the utmost quality.


If you’re on the market for a new CBD product, one of the first things you should do to ensure that you’re buying high-quality CBD is visit the website of the brands you are considering and check if they provide a certificate of analysis (COA) on their site.


Analyzing a COA is pretty much the most important thing you can do to determine the quality and purity of a brand’s CBD. It’s also a useful tool to guarantee that you’re getting the amount of CBD that they’re advertising.


The importance of a COA coming from a third-party lab stems from the fact that the CBD industry isn’t currently regulated. While some might argue that lack of regulation is a good thing, we’ll simply point out that without regulation in place, businesses aren’t required to present accurate information to the consumer, and unsafe products can be sold on the market.


As a CBD-consumer, it’s your personal responsibility to make sure you’re doing everything your ability to make sure you’re taking a safe, healthy, and high-quality product.


That’s where the certificate of analysis comes in.



THE IMPORTANCE OF A COA


To put it simply, COA’s are typically conducted by third-party labs to verify that the contents of a product match how it is advertised on the market, and they test for traces of dangerous compounds like heavy metals that would make the product unsafe for consumption.


In a study conducted in 2017, researchers found that approximately 70% of all CBD products sold one online were misleading consumers with how much CBD was actually in their products.


For the sake of their customers and to protect the reputation of their business, any legitimate and reputable CBD brand will list a COA on their website demonstrating that their products are credible and trustworthy. 



UNDERSTANDING A COA

 

While there are a few different sections on a COA, there are just a couple of things that you always want to look for.


First, you want to make sure that the company performing the test is not the same company selling the products. If it’s conducted by the same company that’s just about the biggest red flag you can get!


After you make sure that the test was conducted by a third party, the next thing you want to do is review the cannabinoid profile. Taking a look at the cannabinoid profile will provide insight into what cannabinoids were found in the sample and the level of concentration. 


Lastly, before you proceed to make a purchase, always check the date of the certificate. 


If any brand fails to check off on all three of these boxes, then it’s in your best interest to move on and look elsewhere.  Afterall, in an industry filled with a sea of suboptimal products, there are still a lot of brands that passionately create and provide trustworthy high-quality CBD products!