The cannabis community can be a complicated place. Many consumers have questions about what products actually do and whether they are safe to consume. It takes the right knowledge and tools to sift through new brands, quickly shifting laws and regulations, and misinformation within the industry. It’s not impossible to find quality products that you can trust and that suit your needs and/or lifestyle—you just have to know what you’re looking for and how to interpret the information that is available to you.
Cannabis Testing
The problem with cannabis and hemp product labels is that they can often be inconsistent and confusing, which leads to consumer mistrust. Due to the very grey nature of state and federal stances regarding the legality of cannabis, no one body or agency is designated to ensure cannabis safety and quality for the general public. In the past, brands have launched products with unchecked information and zero transparency. However, now, many states with cannabis programs have taken it upon themselves to set up basic regulatory frameworks for cannabis and require laboratory testing on all products, including the State of Michigan.
Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) sets clear, stringent standards for cannabis testing after years of confusion and delay. Now the shift in the cannabis community is aimed at keeping products clean and consumers safe. In early 2020, Michigan relegations required testing for cannabinoid and terpene potency, foreign matter, microbial and mycotoxin contamination, pesticide and chemical residue, fungicides, and the presence of residual solvents.
Despite the increase in cannabis testing, many consumers are unsure about what the results mean. If a company does share the results of their testing, it’s important to understand how to read that information and how it might impact your experience with their product. And if a company does not share the results of their testing, you may want to pause and ask them why.
What is a Certificate of Analysis (COA)?
A Certificate of Analysis (COA or “lab results”) is a verified document that provides details about the testing lab, the brand, and the product in question—along with the potency of ingredients the product contains and confirms the product meets certain specifications set out by the MRA. In the case of hemp, CBD, and cannabis flower, the ingredients in the COA most often refer to cannabinoids like THC, CBD, CBG, and CBN. COAs may also include terpenes, which are the aromatic components that contribute to the product’s scent, flavor, and therapeutic profiles.
In summary, a COA ensures the safety and quality of a given product per the State of Michigan’s standard and also helps paint a picture of what effects you can expect. Cannabis laboratories go through a rigorous licensing process with the State of Michigan that includes ongoing inspections to show how they will inspect the product every time they receive a sample. And to avoid conflict of interest, cannabis labs cannot also hold a growing or dispensing license.
Because these tests are very in-depth and highly regulated, they can be very helpful in understanding the product. But in order for the lab results to be useful, you must know what all the numbers represent.
Where can you find a COA?
Finding a company’s COA can either be easy or difficult, depending on the company. COAs are not cheap to create and many companies forgo this step or fail to post this critical information for consumers to read. Fortunately, many larger and/or more established cannabis companies are already up to speed with providing COAs and better transparency. If a product’s COA is available, you might find it printed on a QR code on the product’s outer packaging, which can be scanned and viewed. Other companies publish their COAs online in the product description portion on their website.
➡️ View COAs for MJ Verdant’s cannabis products here. Click on a specific strain to see the harvest date and the unique COA for each batch tested.
Once you have located the product’s COA, it’s important to also look at the lab that produced it. Aboveboard growers and distributors will have their products tested at accredited third-party laboratories. If you can not locate a COA, you should consider contacting the company to request one before proceeding with the purchase or consumption of the product. This is still a very dynamic time for the cannabis industry, however, it is still very much a “buyer beware” environment and it’s important to do your own research.
How to read a COA
On a typical COA there are five main sections that are most important to the average cannabis consumer:
- The Header
- Results Summary
- Potency (Cannabinoids and Terpenes)
- Safety Test Results
- Footer
Not every COA will refer to each section with these terms, but they are fairly common across the board. In this next section, we will break down each section of the COA, the most important information, and why it’s important.
The Header
The header of a COA is an important section because it contains details that can help you trust the legitimacy of the data to follow. The first thing you should look for in the header is the “Report Date” which ensures the results are recent and relevant. The name of the lab should also be listed prominently on the results, so you can verify the lab’s existence and credentials. You’ll always want to double-check that the name of the products and the brand listed on the product packing match up. Another way to verify that the results are for the right product is to review the batch number and description. As you can see, all this information is helpful in verifying the lab and the product tested.
Results Summary
The next section following the header is the summary. Most consumers don’t typically look past this section of COAs because it provides all of the key results at a glance. In this section, you can see the potency of all cannabinoids, results of the contaminants safety testing, and terpene information at a glance and whether the product passed or failed. If a product fails testing, it shouldn’t make it on the shelves so it’s not likely you would actually come across its COA. If you do find a COA where any of the subsections in the result summary show failing results, it’s not recommended you consume that product.
Potency (Cannabinoids and Terpenes)
The third section of a COA is where you can see what cannabinoids and terpenes the products contain, and how concentrated they are. This section typically has multiple columns: one that tells you how many milligrams of each cannabinoid is concentrated within every gram of the product (or in mg/ml if the product is a liquid or oil). Another column may show a percentage, which converts the concentration of each cannabinoid from mg per gram to a percentage of the overall weight of the product. The column is just another way to look at the same result and is often easier to understand. If you see blank spots in the potency results, that usually means the lab did not detect a significant level of the specific cannabinoid or terpene.
You can use the potency section to determine whether a product will contain enough cannabinoids or a certain terpene to better determine what effect the product will have on your mind or body, or even the flavor and medicinal properties. It’s also important to note that not all potency sections of a COA will include a breakdown of the product’s terpenes. That is not required of cannabis in Michigan, however, growers who are interested in the flavors, scents, and general nuances of the plant will test for terpenes thus making the information available to consumers.
Safety Test Results
Every COA you come across should include a safety test results section. In this section, you can see how the product tested for harmful contaminants and microorganisms that you wouldn’t want in your body. Most safety test results section will include the following:
- Chemical Residue (pesticides, insecticides, fungicides)
- Foreign Matter (organic and inorganic)
- Heavy Metals (the State of Michigan requires testing for 6 heavy metals)
- Microbials (salmonella, e. Coli, etc)
- Water Activity and Moisture Content
This section of a COA is important, however, it is not necessarily consumer-centric. This section is where you can ensure that the product tested below all of the safe limits for major contaminants before purchasing and ingesting. As stated before, if a product has failed categories on its COA, it’s not often that a consumer would come across it because the product shouldn’t make it to market.
Footer
Just like with the header of a COA, the footer is an important part of legitimizing the document. The footer lets you know the lab is transparent and accountable for the results in the COA. The footer will also provide more information about who the lab is and how to reach them if you have questions.
In the footer, you should find some form of proof that the lab stands by the results. On the results that we received from Cambium Analytica, the lab’s Director and Chief Scientist both signed off on the COA’s data. Depending on the format of the COA, the lab’s license and credentials may be found here or near the top of the document. Regardless of where exactly the information is, it should be easy to locate. Just remember, all labs must have a license number to be legally compliant.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Now that you have a good understanding of what to look for when purchasing cannabis products and reviewing their COAs, here are some red flags to watch out for:
- Missing safety tests
- Missing cannabinoids
- No lab certifications
- Too much THC (flower testing over 40% and vape cartridges over 90%)
- Less CBD (or other cannabinoids) than advertised
- Fewer terpenes than advertised
Any combination of these red flags should alert the consumer. By knowing what to look out for, consumers can make the most informed purchasing decision, which is crucial when it comes to your body and what you ingest.
The Takeaway
When cannabis growers take testing seriously, they’re showing that they not only value making a profit but the quality of their products and customer safety and satisfaction. Moreover, the willingness to publish COAs along with products shows they are open and honest about what they do and how they do it. The legalized cannabis industry is still in its infancy stage and government agencies are still formulating long-standing regulations and standards, which creates a lot of uncertainty for both producers and consumers.
However, cannabis lab testing is only helpful when used correctly and understood. Full transparency from growers would take the guesswork out of purchasing cannabis and would help the average consumer navigate the industry with more confidence, and be more informed when choosing their cannabis products.
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