How Do You Read a CBD Certificate of Analysis?
- A COA shows what sample was tested, which lab tested it, and what the lab found.
- Cannabinoid results show how much of each cannabinoid was found.
- Reports also show whether other substances, like pesticides or heavy metals, were found in the sample.
- Always match the report to the flower you’re considering instead of using results from another cultivar or harvest.
A hemp COA packs a lot of information onto a few pages. Once you know where to look, the dates, percentages, and lab terms are much easier to understand.
We make our lab results available for your peace of mind. A CBD certificate of analysis gives you specific details about a cultivar’s profile.
What Is a Certificate of Analysis?
A certificate of analysis (COA) is a lab report made after a sample is tested. For hemp flower, the report can show which cannabinoids were found and how much of each one was measured.
Depending on the tests that were run, a CBD certificate of analysis may also include pesticides, heavy metals, bacteria, mold, mycotoxins, moisture, and other substances.
A COA applies to the sample that went to the lab. Hemp flower is an agricultural product, so results from one sample or harvest should not be treated as the results for another.
You can view our cultivar lab results to find reports for Rogue Origin flower.
Match the COA to the Flower
Your hemp COA should make it easy to connect the report with the flower you’re considering.
Look for:
- Cultivar or product name
- Sample, lot, or batch number
- Date the lab received the sample
- Testing date
- Report date
- Lab name
Start with those details before you compare percentages between reports. If the cultivar name, harvest details, or identifying number do not match what you’re buying, look for a more current report.
Flower changes harvest to harvest. Checking the current COA gives you up to date information on our cultivars.
Reading the Results
Cannabinoid results show which cannabinoids the lab found and how much of each they measured.
Check units before comparing numbers. Labs may report results as a percentage by weight, milligrams per gram, or both. Two results only make sense side by side when the units match.
CBD and CBDA Are Different Results
CBD and CBDA often appear on the same CBD certificate of analysis, but they are not the same thing. CBDA is the form of the cannabinoid found naturally in raw hemp flower. CBD is the form that appears after CBDA changes.
Some hemp COAs also show Total CBD. This number accounts for the CBD that can come from CBDA when the flower is heated.
Check the lab notes to see how the total was calculated. You may see the same kind of difference between THC, THCA, and Total THC.
Check Total THC: Delta-9 THC and THCA
Total THC includes measured delta-9 THC and the THC that can come from THCA. USDA hemp testing includes both THC and the THC that can come from THCA and calculates the result, keeping the moisture content in mind.
Read the CBD certificate of analysis carefully to see the split of delta-9 THC and THCA, since legal limits still vary by state. A COA gives you information. It does not replace checking the current laws and rules where you live.
What Do ND, LOD, and LOQ Mean?
These are terms labs use in hemp COAs to represent small amounts. A result below the lab’s measuring limit is not the same as a precise percentage.
- ND: usually means "not detected."
- LOD: Limit of detection. The smallest amount the lab's method can detect at all.
- LOQ means limit of quantitation. The lab detected something, but the amount is too small to measure with confidence.
Check the CBD certificate of analysis notes to see how that lab defines the term, since each lab may use its own reporting limit.
Check the Other Testing Panels
A COA can also report pesticides, heavy metals, bacteria, mold, mycotoxins, moisture, and other substances when those tests were run.
You may see separate sections on a hemp COA for:
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Bacteria, mold, and other microbes
- Mycotoxins
- Moisture or water activity
- Residual solvents for some processed products
Read the name of each section instead of assuming every COA includes every possible test. The tests shown on a CBD certificate of analysis depend on the sample, product, and testing requirements.
A lab may also show pass/fail results or reporting limits next to each substance. Read those results together with the column headings and lab notes.
Check Which Lab Ran the Test
The lab name should be easy to find on your report. You may also see a report number, test methods, accreditation details, signatures, or other identifying information.
In Oregon, post-harvest testing is handled by state-accredited labs. USDA also encourages hemp labs to follow ISO/IEC 17025, a standard for how labs test samples and report results when providing CBD certificates of analysis.
You do not need to understand every testing method to use a hemp COA. You should be able to identify the lab and match its report to the sample you’re researching.
Make Sure the COA Is Current
A report is useful when it matches the flower you’re considering. Check the cultivar name, identifying details, dates, and cannabinoid results together.
An older COA with the right cultivar name could still belong to a different harvest. A report for raw flower also should not be treated as the CBD certificate of analysis for every other product made with that cultivar.
We keep our cultivar and lab results available online so you can check the numbers yourself. We’d rather give you the report than ask you to take our word for it.
How to Read a Hemp COA Before You Order
Start with the cultivar, sample information, and testing date. Then check the cannabinoid results, including the units used for CBD, CBG, delta-9 THC, THCA, and any reported totals.
Next, check which other testing sections are actually included.
Those results give you one part of the picture. You can also use the cultivar description, aroma, flavor, harvest details, and current product information to decide which hemp cultivar fits what you’re looking for.
We’ve focused on hemp flower since 2017, and third-party lab reports are one way we give you more information about the flower grown on our Southern Oregon farm.
CBD Certificate of Analysis FAQ
Is a COA the same as third-party lab testing?
A COA isn’t the same as third party testing. It's the report a lab produces after that testing. Third-party testing means a lab outside Rogue Origin tested the sample and independently verified its composition.
Our hemp flower is all tested by third-party labs, and we make our hemp COAs easy to find for your peace of mind.
Why can cannabinoid percentages change between harvests?
A lab reports what it measured in the sample it received. Different harvests can have different COAs and different cannabinoid results.
Use the report connected to the flower or harvest you’re considering instead of assuming an older percentage still applies.
Does every CBD certificate of analysis include pesticide and heavy-metal testing?
No. The tests shown depend on what was run and what rules apply to that sample or product.
Check the section headings on the report to see which substances the lab tested.
Where can I find Rogue Origin COAs?
You can open current and past reports through our cultivar and lab results page. Match the cultivar and harvest details with the flower you’re considering before you order.
Check the COA, Then Check Out the Flower
A CBD certificate of analysis gives you a closer look at what a lab found in a specific sample. A few minutes spent checking the cultivar, dates, cannabinoid results, units, and other tests can tell you much more than a potency number alone.
Browse our hemp flower and use our lab results to compare the cultivars we’re currently growing and packing in Southern Oregon.
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