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A certificate of analysis on CBD oil is a document that shows the amount and type of cannabinoids on each hemp product.
If there is no COA on the company's website, you should ask for one before buying any CBD oil for your dog.
What Is a Certificate of Analysis?
Certificate of Analysis or COA is one of the critical things to consider when buying a cannabidiol product.
This certificate shows the specific quantity of each cannabinoid, e.g., CBD and THC, present in the product.
It's not surprising that many customers view COA completed by the manufacturer. This lets you know exactly what's in the product you are buying to make an educated decision.
Certificate of Analysis and Third-Party Laboratories for Authentication
The company pays an outside company to analyze the contents of their product.
The customer should verify that the company selling a product gets a COA with no bias from the chosen laboratory.
You can check for accredited laboratories that follow the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines.
A certificate will have a QR code to link anyone to that same report at the laboratory's database.
Feel free to call the laboratory and ask about the certificates they produce.
How to Read the Certificate of Analysis on CBD Oil?
At first glance, a certificate of analysis may seem overwhelming to read. So, here are seven pieces of information to look for if you're a beginner in reading COA:
Name of the Testing Laboratory
The certificate will include the name of the laboratory and the testing date. The testing date should be recent, at least nine months.
Outdated certificates mean that the company is not doing regular laboratory testing with its products.
Batch Number
The batch number in the certificate should match the batch number in the bottle of the product.
Residual Solvents
The manufacturing process of cannabidiol uses solvents to extract CBD from the hemp plant.
The certificate of analysis will list the residual solvents and confirm that the amounts do not exceed the standards.
Cannabinoid Types
A hemp plant has a variety of cannabinoid compounds.
The certificate of full-spectrum hemp oil has detectable cannabinoids, e.g., CBD, CBDV, and CBG. It also has THC that is less than 0.03%.
While the COA of a broad-spectrum hemp oil only contains CBC and CBN. Same as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum should have less than 0.03% THC.
Weight Percentage
This section is at the right column of the list of cannabinoid types. It lists the percentage by weight of each cannabinoid compound.
The reported weight is the weight of the product minus the packaging.
Heavy Metal Analysis
The hemp plant may become contaminated with heavy metals from the soil it grows.
Accredited laboratories test the hemp plants for the possible presence of lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.
If there is no detection of a specific metal, the lab technician puts “ND” or non-detected beside it.
Pesticide Analysis
Aside from dogs and humans, insects are fond of CBD, too! That is why COA contains test results for the use of pesticides.
In this section, across each row is the name of the pesticide tested, the detected level, the acceptable level limits, and whether the results pass or not.
Pesticides, just like heavy metals, are harmful to your pets as these chemicals can make them sick.
Choosing the Best CBD Oil for Dogs Based On the COA
Look for a Full or Broad-Spectrum Hemp
Check the label to make sure that the product is full-spectrum or broad-spectrum.
Other cannabinoid compounds include cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabigerol (CBG).
CBC is good in fighting cancers, blocks pain and inflammation, and has positive effects on the brain. While CBG helps decrease inflammation in the digestive tract and protects nerve cells and eyes.
Full-spectrum hemp contains terpenes, e.g., limonene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene. These are naturally occurring medicinal substances in hemp plants.
Broad-spectrum hemp also has terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, or pinene.
Uses CO2 Extraction
CO2 extraction uses CO2 to extract oil from the hemp plant.
At first, the CO2 puts pressure on the hemp plant. Then it breaks down the hemp, and lastly, releases the oil using a high-pressure chamber.
This method creates oils with a high concentration of cannabidiol. It means that your dog gets more health benefits from CBD oil usage.
CO2 extraction is expensive, but it's way better than solvent extraction.
Must Be the Same as Advertised
Make sure that the certificate of analysis has the same content as the label in the product.
Other laboratory tests express the CBD in mg/g. First, know how many grams are present in the bottle to calculate the amount.
Amount of THC
The CBD product of your dog should not contain more than 0.03% of THC. If it includes more than that, it's already marijuana, not a hemp product.
Also, avoid products with no THC, like CBD from isolate, because it has fewer health benefits, and your dog might not enjoy the effects.
Results Made by a Third-Party Lab
Ensure that you buy a CBD product that a third-party laboratory adequately tests.
Unfortunately, the cannabidiol industry is not well-regulated. So, expect several poor-quality products.
No Contaminants
It's vital to know where and how the hemp grows to make the oil. This growth plays a massive part in the test results present in the certificate of analysis.
You also want to know if the soil and water, where the hemp came from, is clean.
As customers, we need to know these things because hemp plants are good sponges and can absorb contaminants when they grow.
So, always make sure to check the COA for any contaminants, e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, and solvent residues.
Final Thoughts: Why Is Certificate of Analysis Important?
The CBD market in the United States is not well-supervised by the Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration.
With this, companies can create false claims and unsafe products. The certificate of analysis can prevent all of this from happening.
COA provides the accurate composition of each hemp product, whether these products are safe to use for your dog or not.
