When reviewing cannabidiol (CBD) and other hemp-based products, retailers will run across manufacturers mentioning an item’s certificate of analysis (COA). They should ignore that at their peril. The COA is an important element to assuring that a CBD vendor’s product is the real deal.

The COA isn’t unique to the CBD industry. It is common in a range of industries and products such as food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, among others.

A COA is a document that that the work was performed to verify the quality, accuracy and content of a product. It is signed or certified by a laboratory, preferably a third-party independent or government laboratory.

COAs should be up to date and the batch number and date match those of the product purchased. That information is usually at the top of a COA along with the vendor’s address and contact information.

The certificate itself details the examination of the product it is issued for that it has undergone specific tests that prove it is what the manufacturer says it is. For hemp-CBD companies that go to great lengths to assure their products meet a high standard of quality, COAs set them apart from those that may not be as meticulous in their manufacturing processes.

It is vitally important for CBD and hemp manufacturers to not only certify for government regulators that their THC and other content adheres to law, but also to instill confidence among retailers who carry those products and consumers counting on those products to ease what ails them.