A certificate of analysis, usually shortened to COA, is a laboratory report for a tested sample. It records what the laboratory measured, how the results are expressed and, when provided, the method and reporting limits used.
A COA can help you compare a product description with laboratory results. It does not prove every aspect of quality, and it does not tell you what effect a product will have on you. The useful question is not simply whether a report exists, but what was tested and what the results mean.
What can a CBD certificate of analysis show?
The contents depend on the tests requested. A report may include:
- the name of the laboratory and the date of the report;
- a description of the submitted sample;
- the cannabinoids tested, such as CBD, CBDA, THC or THCA;
- the measured concentration and its unit;
- the analytical method or equipment used;
- the reporting limit for very small amounts; and
- results for specific contaminants, but only when those tests are listed.
Not every COA covers the same substances. A cannabinoid profile is not automatically evidence that the sample was also tested for pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, mycotoxins or microorganisms.
How to find Harmony laboratory reports
Harmony’s laboratory report library is organised by product category, product name and strength. Use the “Product or strength” filter, choose the report that matches the product description, then open the PDF.
The library contains the reports currently available for listed CBD and delta-9 THC products. If you cannot identify the right report, contact us with the product name and strength rather than relying on a report for a different product.
How to read cannabinoid results
Check the substance and the result separately
Laboratories may report CBD, CBDA, delta-9 THC, THCA and other cannabinoids as separate results. Acidic and neutral forms are different entries, so do not treat every number in the cannabinoid table as CBD or add values together unless the report defines a total and explains the calculation.
Check the unit before comparing numbers
Common units include milligrams per gram (mg/g), milligrams per millilitre (mg/mL) and percent by weight (% w/w). These are not interchangeable labels:
- mg/g describes mass of the measured substance per gram of sample.
- mg/mL describes mass per millilitre of liquid.
- % w/w describes mass as a percentage of the sample’s mass. When the basis is explicitly weight by weight, 1% equals 10 mg/g.
Converting mg/g to mg/mL requires the liquid’s density. Do not assume that 1 mL weighs exactly 1 g. Compare a laboratory result with a label only after checking that both use the same unit and basis.
Understand ND, LOD and LOQ
ND usually means “not detected”, but the exact definition belongs to the report. It does not necessarily mean that the substance is completely absent.
LOD, or limit of detection, is the smallest amount that the method can detect with reasonable certainty. LOQ, or limit of quantification, is the lowest amount that the method can measure with an acceptable level of uncertainty. A result shown as “<LOQ” means the amount was below that method’s quantification limit. Read the value alongside the stated LOD or LOQ rather than interpreting it as zero.
Look for the method and laboratory scope
ISO/IEC 17025 is the international competence standard used for testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation is useful evidence about a laboratory’s quality system and technical competence, but its scope matters. Check whether the laboratory, method and type of sample shown on the report fall within the accredited scope.
Testing scope matters
Different questions require different analytical methods. In its research on CBD products, the UK Food Standards Agency used distinct methods for cannabinoid content, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, mycotoxins and other substances. Some methods were within the laboratory’s accredited scope and others were explicitly reported as outside it.
This is why a long list of cannabinoids should not be mistaken for a complete contaminant screen. Check the analytes named in the report and whether each result is numerical, below a reporting limit, not detected or not tested.
What do “pass” and “fail” mean?
A pass or fail statement is meaningful only when the report identifies the specification or acceptance limit used. A “pass” for cannabinoid concentration does not imply a pass for tests that were not performed. If no specification is shown, use the numerical result and its unit rather than guessing what the status means.
Why can a laboratory result differ from a label?
Possible reasons include different units, rounding, the basis of the calculation, sample preparation and measurement uncertainty. There is no universal percentage that should be applied to every cannabinoid result. Use the uncertainty, tolerance or decision rule stated on the particular report.
If a result appears inconsistent, first compare the product description, cannabinoid name, unit and test method. Ask Harmony or the issuing laboratory for clarification if the difference remains unexplained.
What a COA cannot tell you
A COA is evidence about the submitted sample and the tests listed on the report. It cannot establish that every possible contaminant was assessed, guarantee that another product is identical, or show that a CBD product will deliver a health benefit. Product suitability and directions belong on the current label and product page. Medical questions should be discussed with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
You can continue with Harmony’s Safety and testing guide or browse the available laboratory reports.
