ANJA Presents: Is My Cannabis Safe?
Ashley Robins
November 07, 2022
Reading a blog post about product safety by a cannabis company may feel like a used car salesman trying to work his magic. The thing is, you don’t generally buy a brand-free car via the black market, you buy a reputable vehicle with a verifiable history report (we hope). The difference between us and our grey-market competitors is that every product sold has a lab-tested quality guarantee.
In other words, product safety isn’t just a selling point for ANJA- it’s a requirement.
Every product sold at ANJA comes attached with a Certificate of Analysis (COA), which is a third-party verified document that details the testing lab, the brand and product question, and the potency of the ingredients in the product. Not only should consumers check the COA to certify the terpene and cannabinoid content, but they should also check it to ensure that their product is legally registered and verifiable. If not, there is no telling what you might be consuming.
This blog post will break down what is included in a COA; special thanks to ACS Laboratory- a cannabis and CBD/hemp testing facility in Florida- for providing visual breakdowns of the COA. Every lab has its own format for publishing lab analysis, but the content of the report should stay consistent and contain the following always:
Image credit: https://acslabcannabis.com/blog/compliance/how-to-read-a-coa-and-why-its-so-important/
As outlined above, ensure that the COA provided matches up with the provided product information. The ANJA team is more than happy to walk you through any questions you may have. If you see anything out of the ordinary- such as the dates being different or the batch numbers varying- then you should be wary of the product in hand.
Lab testing is crucial for ensuring that the product you are consuming does not contain any dangerous solvents, pesticides, and metals. Any product that does not pass these standards will not make it to dispensary shelves, which is why shopping at a dispensary is recommended over the black market.
Different products will contain different levels of THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, and total Cannabinoids. Some COAs will include a terpene content analysis, but the presentation and level of detail regarding the terpene breakdown may vary depending on the lab that tested the product. For more information on terpenes, check out our blog post about terpenes!
Cannabis is an art form and a wellness tool for many. If you are going to consume anything, make sure you know what it is. For more specific questions on what the breakdown means specifically for you and your occasion, ask one of our friendly budtenders.
We look forward to seeing you! In the meantime, rest easy knowing that you have a safe and quality product in hand. When you have questions, we have ANJA.