If you're buying hemp online, the COA is the truth. It tells you what's actually in the jar. But most COAs look like a chemistry exam — and 90% of the page is information you don't need. Here's the 60-second version.
What is a COA?
A Certificate of Analysis is a third-party lab report that confirms what's in a hemp product — the cannabinoid potency, the contaminant screens, and the federal compliance proof. Every legit hemp brand publishes one per batch.
At Ziggy's, every hemp product has its COA linked from its product page. Look for the "View Lab Results (COA)" button below the trust bar.
The 5 things to actually look at
1. Date & Batch Number
The COA is for ONE specific batch. The batch number on the COA should match the batch printed on your jar. If they don't match, the COA isn't valid for what you bought.
2. Lab name + ISO accreditation
The lab should be listed at the top with their address and (most importantly) their ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation number. That accreditation means the lab is held to international testing standards. No accreditation = unreliable result.
3. Cannabinoid panel
You'll see a table of cannabinoids: THCA, CBD, Delta-9 THC, Delta-8, CBN, CBG, etc. Two things matter here:
- Total Delta-9 THC must be less than 0.3% by dry weight. This is the federal Farm Bill compliance line.
- Total cannabinoid potency tells you how strong the product actually is.
4. Contaminant screens
Look for these panels — each should say "Pass" or list specific results:
- Heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium)
- Pesticides (per applicable lab standards)
- Residual solvents (only relevant for extracts/concentrates)
- Microbials and mycotoxins
- Moisture content (for flower)
5. Signature
Real COAs are signed by an analyst at the lab. No signature = sketchy.
Red flags to walk away from
- No COA available, or one is "available upon request" but never delivered
- COA dated more than 12 months ago
- Batch number on COA doesn't match the product label
- Lab not ISO/IEC 17025 accredited
- Delta-9 THC over 0.3% by dry weight (= not federally compliant hemp)
- Any contaminant panel marked "fail" or missing entirely
Why we publish them
We publish COAs because the alternative is asking you to trust us blindly. We'd rather show our work. Read more about how we lab-test or browse our hemp catalog — every product page links its COA directly.
Hemp-derived. Less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. 2018 Farm Bill compliant. 21+ only. Not evaluated by the FDA.
