How to Read Cannabinoid Lab Reports: A Retailer’s Essential Checklist

When purchasing cannabis products for your retail store, you might have seen lab reports attached to the products. Do you know what it means? And why should you consider it?

Lab reports help you identify that the product you are purchasing is of high quality, purity, and potency. In today’s regulated cannabinoid market, learning how to read cannabinoid lab reports is not a skill; it’s a business necessity. 

If you are facing product returns or consistent customer complaints, it might be because you overlook lab reports or CoA while purchasing your cannabis stock. This article will help you on how to read cannabinoid lab reports and build customer trust by stocking smart. 

What are Cannabinoid Lab Reports or CoA?

A cannabinoid lab report, also known as a certificate of analysis (CoA), is proof of a product’s potency, quality, purity, and transparency. It can significantly impact your store’s reputation and legal compliance. 

These reports are generated by a third-party accredited laboratory that comprehensively analyzes the cannabis product for terpene profiles, cannabinoids, and contaminants. It helps to verify whether the product contains the same level of cannabinoids as labelled on the product. 

Why Cannabis Lab Tests are Important for Retailers?

Cannabinoid lab reports play an important role in the retail market. For manufacturers, it's the regulatory compliance, but for retailers, it’s far more than the regulations. It directly impacts their business performance and customer trust.

The CoA provides verified details of the product that prevent retailers from making poor purchasing decisions. The details also include the terpene profile and potential contaminants, like pesticides or heavy metals. 

Therefore, retailers must learn to read a cannabinoid lab report to ensure retail growth, make informed stocking decisions, and offer transparency to their consumers. Trusted cannabis wholesale suppliers, like AHDist, provide lab reports for all of their products.

Steps to Read Cannabinoid Lab Reports

The cannabinoid lab reports might just feel like a page full of numbers, but don’t worry. Once you learn to look at it, it will become a powerful tool for your retail growth. Let’s break it down step by step to help you understand what you have to look for.

1.   Check Lab Accreditation

The cannabis products are tested by third-party laboratories. Accredited laboratories that adhere to strict industry guidelines generate reliable cannabinoid lab reports. You need to check various accreditations and certifications of the testing facility or laboratory. 

• Laboratory Accreditation

Verify the third-party lab for accreditation or certification by a recognized authority, such as ISO/IEC 17025. This certification ensures that the lab is operated in compliance with strict quality control regulations. 

• State License

Ensure that the testing laboratory holds the essential state license to operate in your area. Each state has different regulations; therefore, it’s important to know if the facility has the necessary license.

• Testing Techniques

Look for the testing methods and equipment used in the details of the cannabinoid lab reports. The standardized testing techniques include HPLC and GC-MS. These techniques ensure that the results are accurate and reliable.

2.   Verify the Sample Information

When you get access to lab reports or CoA, confirm the sample information first. This ensures that you are analyzing the right product information. The key markers to verify sample information include batch/Lot number, testing date, and product type. 

A batch number is a unique number that is assigned to every product by the manufacturer. Confirm the product type, like cannabis flower, CBD gummies, etc. Match the product type of the lab reports with the product you want to purchase. 

Review the testing date when the lab analyzed the sample, as it helps retailers understand the novelty of the cannabinoid lab reports. 

3.   Analyze Cannabinoid Profile

The cannabinoid section of a CoA provides detailed information about the composition and potency of the product. It checks the level of major cannabinoids, like THC, CBG, CBD, and CBN, along with the concentrations of minor cannabinoids.

As a retailer, you must pay attention to the levels of CBD and THC cannabinoids, with some other minor cannabinoids that are in increasing demand. The THC to CBD ratio helps you understand the potential effects of the product.

The presence of minor cannabinoids in a product induces entourage effects due to the synergistic interaction between different cannabinoids. You have to verify the cannabinoid levels with what’s advertised on the label. 

The mismatch in these concentration levels could raise regulatory issues regarding that product. Be cautious of the levels of the THCA and CBDA, as they convert into THC and CBD, respectively, upon heating. By understanding the cannabinoid profile, you can stock products tailored to your customers' needs.

4.   Analyze Terpene Profile

Terpenes are naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant, providing aroma and flavor in the cannabis product. As a retailer, you can determine the full-spectrum effects of a cannabis product by understanding its terpene profile.

The most common terpenes are myrcene, limonene, pinene, and caryophyllene. Each of these terpenes has different sensory and therapeutic properties. Rich terpene product provides better effects than the low-terpene cannabis products. 

Purchase your retail inventory considering your consumers’ preferences and sell premium cannabis products backed by full-spectrum data. 

5.   Check for Contaminants

Apart from the cannabinoid and terpene profiles, lab reports provide insights into the potential contaminants, like pesticides, heavy metals, and microbials in a cannabinoid product. The presence of any contaminant will compromise the purity and safety of the product.  

Ensure that the product you are offering to your cannabis consumers is pass or ND (not detected) across all contaminants. Otherwise, you might be subjected to legal action, license suspension, and brand damage.

Stock Smarter with AHDist

AHDist holds a reputable position as a cannabis wholesale supplier, with a strong commitment to helping retailers stand out in the market. We offer quality, transparency, and consistency that help retailers win their customers' trust.

We offer a range of cannabis products, including gummies, tinctures, vapes, and topicals. Each of our products is lab-tested for potency, terpene richness, and safety. Our retail partners don’t just get the products; they stock smarter and invest in a more profitable retail strategy.

Conclusion

Understanding how to read a cannabinoid lab report provides a competitive advantage to the retailers. From verifying potency and purity to identifying the product sample, lab reports help retailers to make better purchasing decisions and strengthen their brand reputation.  

AHDist makes this easy for retailers by offering wholesale cannabis inventory with attached lab reports. You can review these reports and then stock the cannabis product as per your customers' needs.