When a product is accessible on the market, it can be challenging to determine whether it’s good or bad with such a variety of choices. The lack of specific industry standards generates incorrectly labeled products and half-knowledge about the item for a prospective buyer.

Such a problem affects product quality and deceives customers about what they are really paying for.

However, labeling alone is not enough. Nowadays, customers don’t pay attention to product content. This is the reason COAs are a must-have for reliable, law-abiding CBD manufacturers. They unveil a true composition for each product.

Once you open a COA it is easy to get overwhelmed by the terminology and the amount of information. Not to worry, we will explain what each part means.

Much like other cannabinoids, terpenes are usually not something to be worried about, and can even enhance a product. Many terpenes have been found to have medicinal and therapeutic value. If the certificate indicates the terpenes found in the extract, this is simply a bonus.

Terpenes are known to contribute to the taste and aroma of plants, and cannabis is no different. Having a list of the terpenes may even provide you with an indication of the taste and smell of the product.

Since we are talking about a plant, we cannot avoid having pesticides. However, when viewing the test, make sure that the pesticide content doesn’t exceed the norm.

Also, in the lab report, you may see nutritional supplements of Coconut Oil and CBD Hemp Oil. If you have allergies, it’s also something important to pay attention to.

When there is a measurement of the CBD amount per gram, you need to know the total weight of a product in grams. The weight doesn’t include the packaging. Most products don’t include weight information on their packaging so you may need to check if it is written in COA.

This type of measurement is used only for liquids and is easier to calculate. Take the total amount of a product in milliliters and multiply it by the amount of CBD.

Liquid tinctures always indicate full volume on the label (such as 1oz or 30 ml).

Common cannabinoids that you will see in COA include:

• CBG — Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, bone stimulant, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic.
• CBC — Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-depressant.
• CBN — Analgesic, antispasmodic, anti-insomnia.

These are terms that are used to describe the smallest concentration of a measurand that can be reliably measured and calculated by an analytical procedure.

LoD is the lowest analyte concentration likely to be reliably distinguished from the LoB and at which detection is achievable. LoD is determined by utilizing both the measured LoB and test replicates of a sample known to accommodate a low concentration of an analyte.

LoB is the highest apparent analyte concentration expected to be located when replicates of a blank sample containing no analyte are tested.

LoQ is the lowest concentration that may be equivalent to the LoD, or it could be at a much higher level. The analyte can not only be reliably identified but it is also possible to define at which level some predefined goals for bias and imprecision are reached.

It’s no secret that plants have different microbes and bacteria. But when you buy a product you don’t want them to get into your body. Thus, a microbial test provides all information about microbiological contamination such as salmonella, yeast, and molds.

Some people have a weak immune system and cannot tolerate any contamination, and some have medical conditions that prohibit them from consuming even “safe” levels of these microbes.

ND refers to “none detected” while less than 10 cfu/g refers to the bacterial colony count for the sample with cfu standing for “colony forming units”. If the level is not safe, it has to be indicated as such. But the customer wouldn’t see it because it wouldn’t be allowed on the market.

If there is no transparency and no quality guarantee provided by the brand, it’s a good idea to consider a different product. Good brands, like pHAZE Naturals, care about the health of their consumers, they want to provide the best quality and most importantly — products that are safe to use. Therefore for companies that have the best interest of their customers in mind shouldn’t have any problems providing lab test results.

However, as a competition among companies reaches unexpected heights, many brands find new ways to attract new customers. Most of them come up with a trick about certified organic CBD oil.

As for now, only a few companies sell organic CBD oil, due to the difficulties of getting organic certification for hemp products.

When you get a Certificate of Analysis, view the document carefully and don’t forget to pay attention to the following points.

• If the THC amount is above the norm, or CBD amount is below the norm.
  Cannabis oil cannot contain above 0.3% THC. If the percentage is higher, then it’s considered marijuana and may not be legal. Also, it’s crucial to make sure the Certificate of Analysis reflects the advertised CBD content on your product’s label.
• If the list of cannabinoids is too short.
  Remember, in addition to CBD the COA cannabinoids list should contain at least small amounts of CBDa, CBG, CBC, CBN, and/or other cannabinoids.
• If there is an excess or lack of components.
  You already know about key points in Certificate of Analysis and what data this list should contain. Strange components or missing ones can be a sign that something is wrong with the COA. This may be caused by testing beyond a special accredited third-party lab.
• If the test is well outdated.
  Always check the date, lot number, and the photograph of the packaging. If the test date was a long time ago, the lot number doesn’t match it, or the product packaging has changed, COA may be invalid.