How to Actually Read a COA

Most shoppers glance at a certificate of analysis just long enough to find the THC percentage, then stop. That number matters, but it's maybe a third of what the document is actually telling you.

Potency panel

This section lists THC, THCA, CBD, and minor cannabinoids as a percentage of dry weight. THCA converts to THC when heated, so flower often shows a higher THCA number than active THC — that's expected, not a red flag.

Terpene profile

Terpenes are the aromatic compounds responsible for a strain's smell and much of its felt effect. A short terpene list isn't necessarily bad, but a profile of 0.0% across the board on something marketed as "terpene-rich" is worth questioning.

Contaminant screening

This is the section that actually protects you: pesticide residue, heavy metals, microbial contamination, and residual solvents (for concentrates). Every value should read "pass" or sit below the listed action limit. Anything flagged "fail" should never have reached a shelf.

Batch and date

A real certificate ties back to a specific harvest or production batch number and a test date. If a product's batch number doesn't match what's on its packaging, that's a sign the certificate may not actually belong to what you're holding.

The takeaway

A certificate is only useful if you can verify it came from an independent lab, matches the batch in your hand, and is recent. We link every product's current COA directly from its product page for exactly that reason.