Certificate of Analysis (COA)
COAA certificate of analysis is a laboratory report stating what was measured in a specific batch of product, including cannabinoid content and screened contaminants.
A complete certificate identifies the laboratory, the sample, the batch number and the test date, then lists results by category: cannabinoid potency, and screens for heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents, microbes and mycotoxins. Each result is reported with its unit, the method's detection or quantitation limit, and often an action limit with a pass or fail indication. Some certificates cover potency only, which is a narrower document than the name suggests.
Reading one means checking three things: that the batch number matches the product, that every expected test category is present, and that the measured cannabinoid content is close to the label claim. A certificate shows what a sample contained on the day it was tested; it does not show how the product was stored since, nor does it speak to how a product will affect any person or animal. THC content should be read against the stated limits, and a 0.0% THC result means the method found none above its reporting threshold.