Cannabinoid Encyclopedia

Certificate of analysis guide

What is a cannabinoid COA?

A certificate of analysis, or COA, is a lab report for a specific sample or batch. It can help show what was tested, what was found, and which questions the lab did not answer.

The short answer

A COA proves what was tested

A useful COA matches the batch in hand, names the lab and test date, reports cannabinoid amounts, and shows the contaminant panels that were run. It does not prove a health benefit.

Three checks

Start with identity, contents, and safety panels

Identity

Does the batch match?

The lot or batch number should match the item the report is supposed to describe.

Contents

What cannabinoids were measured?

Read the amount, unit, sample type, and whether the result refers to weight, volume, or serving.

Panels

What else was tested?

Pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, microbes, and mycotoxins are separate panels and may not all be present.

Public examples

Batch records must be specific

No public batch examples are listed yet. The reading guide is available now. A trustworthy example should identify the batch, lab, dates, tested panels, and source document without implying that lab quality proves a medical outcome.