COA
A laboratory-issued document reporting the test results for a specific cannabis batch — potency, contaminants, residual solvents, microbials, heavy metals — required before a product can be transferred to retail in most regulated states.
What a COA is
A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a lab-issued document that reports the test results for a specific batch of cannabis or cannabis product. Most state programs require a passing COA before a batch can be transferred from a producer to a retailer.
What a COA typically reports
- Cannabinoid potency — THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA, and total cannabinoids by mass
- Residual solvents — relevant for concentrates and extracts
- Pesticides — full state-specific panel
- Heavy metals — typically arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury
- Microbials — total yeast, mold, E. coli, Salmonella, Aspergillus
- Mycotoxins — aflatoxins, ochratoxin A
- Moisture content and water activity — relevant for flower and pre-rolls
- Foreign matter — visible contaminants
Why it matters to compliance
A COA is both a compliance artifact and a consumer-facing document. Many states require the COA to be linked from the product packaging via QR code. Operators must maintain a complete, searchable history of every COA for every batch they touch — often for years after the product is sold.
A missing or expired COA is one of the fastest ways to fail an inspection. The document vault in Verdaxi tracks COA expiration, links each COA to its batch and SKU, and flags any product moving without a current passing COA.
Compliance is the entry point. The platform is the destination.
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