How to read a lab certificate of analysis for your cannabis product

Why does cannabis testing matter?

All legal cannabis products must be made in New York State, created in a controlled environment,

and made using sanitary practices. Cannabis products must pass lab testing before being sold at

licensed adult-use retail or medical dispensaries. Lab testing ensures available cannabis products

are safer to consume and are accurately labeled for potency. To make sure your product is correctly

labeled and lab tested use the link or QR code required on every product label to view that product’s

“Certiﬁcate of Analysis” (CoA).

What does New York State require all cannabis products

be tested for?

By requiring cannabis products to be tested, New York State is protecting the health and safety

of cannabis consumers. Lab testing helps to ensure that cannabis products sold by licensed

dispensaries meet testing standards and provides consumers details about their purchased product.

This includes product information related to lab testing for: cannabinoid proﬁle, microorganisms,

heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, water activity, foreign materials, and other analytes

or contaminants. For more on these Terms to Know visit page 2.

What about unregulated products?

All regulated products must be labeled accurately, but many unregulated products are not labeled at

all. If you purchase unregulated cannabis and it is labeled – you can’t trust ANY of the information

on the label. It may not be lab tested – even if it says it is. The potency levels may be completely

wrong – IF they are even listed. The cultivar (strain) name could be inaccurate – IF it is even listed.

Because there is no oversight, an unregulated product could say whatever it wants without anyone

verifying the information is correct.

Scan for more information or visit cannabis.ny.gov

If you have questions regarding the Ofﬁce of Cannabis Management, please

call us at 1-888-OCM-5151 (1-888-626-5151) or email us: [email protected].gov

HOW TO READ A LAB HOW TO READ A LAB

CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS FOR CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS FOR

YOUR CANNABIS PRODUCTYOUR CANNABIS PRODUCT

ew ew

oror

k k

inin

Reading a Certiﬁcate of Analysis (CoA)

A Cannabinoid is a molecule that can

regulate different organs and tissues

in the body. The most frequently

talked about cannabinoids are

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and

cannabidiol (CBD).

THC or “Tetrahydrocannabinol”

is a cannabinoid known for its

psychoactive effects or the

feeling of being high.

CBD or “Cannabidiol” is

the second most prevalent

cannabinoid in cannabis. Many

people who grow hemp, grow

varieties that are high in CBD.

Unlike THC, CBD does not cause

a “high” or psychoactive effect

by itself.

Cannabinoid Proﬁle means

the speciﬁc amounts of

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),

cannabidiol (CBD), and any other

cannabinoids, that are mentioned on

the cannabis product’s packaging or

label.

Terpenes are organic compounds

that provide the aroma of cannabis

and a variety of other plants. For

example, some common terpenes

smell like:

• Citrus (limonene)

• Pine (pinene)

• Lavender (linalool)

• Black pepper (caryophyllene)

Potency refers to the amount of THC

and CBD in your cannabis product.

Limit of Quantitation (LOQ) is the

smallest amount (or concentration) of

a substance that can be determined

accurately using lab testing methods.

Potential Contaminants

Terms to Know

Microorganisms are potentially

harmful microscopic organisms, that

can grow in cannabis products as a

result of light pollution or unsanitary

conditions during any point from

growing to packaging a cannabis

product.

Heavy Metals can be absorbed by

cannabis plants as they grow in the

soil. Potentially toxic metals such as

mercury, arsenic, or lead could also

be introduced during the processing

or manufacturing of a cannabis

product.

Pesticides are chemicals used during

cultivation to protect cannabis plants

from mold, insects, and harmful

bacteria that can interfere with

healthy growth of the plant.

Residual Solvents are used to make

concentrated cannabis products.

Water Activity and Moisture Content

tests are used as an indicator for

harmful microorganism growth in

cannabis products.

Foreign Materials include any type

of matter that does not belong in a

cannabis product.

Reading a Certiﬁcate of Analysis (CoA)

Who tests the cannabis products before they become

available for consumers?

Lab sampling ﬁrms authorized by the Ofﬁce of Cannabis Management (OCM) will collect product

samples from New York State licensees and deliver the samples to labs for testing. Every form of

cannabis product (flower, pre-rolls, edibles, or topicals) must be tested – there are no exceptions.

What is a Certicate of Analysis (CoA)?

A CoA is a certiﬁed lab report that provides testing results of a cannabis product. The CoA allows

consumers to easily access details related to speciﬁc testing results that are required for each

cannabis product type. The CoA is a report of all quality assurance measures a cannabis product has

been tested for. This helps consumers learn more about speciﬁc cannabinoids present in a product

as well as the potentially harmful contaminants.

Cannabinoid Testing reflects the total active or amount of each cannabinoid present, in milligrams,

found per dose or serving, in the tested product sample.

The CoA must also include sections that provide information on:

• Heavy Metal Testing;

• Pesticide Testing; and

• Microbial Impurities Testing.

Each section should reflect the speciﬁc contaminant being tested (example: “lead” for Heavy Metal

Testing) and whether or not the sample PASSED or FAILED. If the presence of a harmful contaminant

is detected above the limit set by the OCM, then the test is considered to have “FAILED.” If the

contaminant is detected below the limit, then the test is considered to have “PASSED.”

A product sold in a regulated dispensary should never show any test as “FAILED” on a CoA.

Where do I nd the Certicate of Analysis (CoA)

on my cannabis product label?

New York State requires that all cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries have a label with a link

or QR code that brings you directly to the CoA for that cannabis product. When you scan the QR code

you will either go directly to the CoA or a website where you can ﬁnd the CoA for that cannabis product.

Reading a Certiﬁcate of Analysis (CoA)

So, you found the CoA… now what?

Knowing what to look for in the CoA will help you make informed choices when choosing which cannabis

product to purchase. You may notice that CoAs from different labs may not all look exactly the same but

they all contain the same kind of information.

Here’s an example of what a CoA may look like:

How to Read a Certicate of Analysis (CoA)

Organization name and license number

is where you’ll ﬁnd the name and New

York State cannabis license number of

the business who made the cannabis

product.

Batch/Sample ID is a unique set of

numbers and/or letters that identiﬁes

the speciﬁc product sample being tested.

Collection Date is the date that

the sample was collected from the

licensee for testing.

Sample Name refers to what kind of

cannabis product is being tested.

Sample Type refers to the ﬁnal product

form (e.g. pre-rolls, lozenges, chews or

flower) of the cannabis being tested.

Received Date is the date the lab

received the product sample for testing.

Reported Date is the date the CoA was

created and reported to the licensee.

Report Status indicates whether or

not testing is in process or has been

completed and ﬁnalized.

Lot Unique Identiﬁer or Lot Number

or Bar Code is a unique identiﬁer that

allows New York State to track the

complete history of each cannabis

product. This includes where the product

was grown, manufactured, processed,

tested, and distributed. It also allows

OCM to issue recalls for speciﬁc products

if needed.

Please note this is a sample CoA only

Reading a Certiﬁcate of Analysis (CoA)

Cannabinoid Prole Testing

Please note this is a sample CoA only

Cannabinoid Proﬁle is

the speciﬁc amounts of

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),

cannabidiol (CBD), and any

other cannabinoids, that are

mentioned on the cannabis

product’s packaging or label.

Some proﬁles show Cannabinoid

Ratios, which tell you how much of

one cannabinoid is in the product

relative to another cannabinoid.

For example, 1:1 means the product

includes the same amount of THC as

CBD. Other cannabinoid ratios are

4:1, 20:1, etc.

Read labels carefully and consult

dispensary staff if you need more

information to make sure you

understand the products you are

purchasing.

In New York State’s regulated

industry, inhaled products (such as

pre-rolls or flower) will indicate the

percentage (%) of total THC, CBD, and

other cannabinoids. Whereas edible

products will indicate total amount

of THC in milligrams (mg) per serving

and per package.

Reading a Certiﬁcate of Analysis (CoA)

For each test marker you will see the

result of the lab testing as well as the

LIMIT. This means the amount of any

given contaminant that is allowed to

be present on or in a cannabis product.

These limits are set by New York State

and can be found online.

Heavy Metal Testing: Here you’ll see if

the lab testing detected any metals that

could be potentially toxic. These metals

can be absorbed by cannabis during the

growing, processing, or manufacturing

of a cannabis product. If no signiﬁcant

presence of these metals are found in

the cannabis product the results will

say, “PASS.”

Test marker describes what speciﬁc

test is being analyzed.

Heavy Metals & Pesticide Testing

Please note this is a sample CoA only

Scan the QR code for

more information.

These limits are based on how much of

a given contaminant must be present

to pose a risk if consumed.

CFU is the number of

“colony forming units” of

viable bacterial or fungal

cells estimated in a sample.

If the test status is “PASS” that means that no harmful amounts

of a contaminant have been detected and the product is

considered ﬁt for human consumption. Regulated dispensaries

can only sell products that have passed these tests. You should

never see a FAILED result on any CoA for a cannabis product

you purchase in New York State.

Accidental Cannabis Exposure or Overconsumption of Cannabis

Call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 if you think someone has been exposed to a cannabis product

and is awake and alert. Call 911 if the person is showing signs of an emergency. Contact the Poison

Center or your veterinarian immediately if your pet has ingested cannabis.

Microbial Testing

If you have questions regarding the Ofﬁce

of Cannabis Management, please call us

at 1-888-OCM-5151 (1-888-626-5151)

or email us: [email protected].gov

Contact the Oce of

Cannabis Management

Scan here to report

concerns about a cannabis

product or business.

Please note this is a sample CoA only