Since the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill was passed (and then temporarily renewed at the end of 2024), cannabis and hemp products have become increasingly available to the public. Hemp products that contain 0.3% THC or less are federally legal, but products that contain any more than that amount are still considered illegal. However, each state has the power to determine the legal status of cannabis in their jurisdiction. Some states have legalized medicinal cannabis and others have legalized it for recreational use. On the other hand, a few states still maintain that THC is illegal and even fewer states don’t even allow hemp products to contain any traceable amount of this cannabinoid.
Combine this unclear and unstandardized legal status with a plethora of products and manufacturers on a virtually unregulated market, and it’s no wonder that potential customers are hesitant to make their first THC purchase. These factors and more are why lab testing is so important for hemp and cannabis products. Not only can unbiased lab test results help ensure that you use safe products by revealing whether they contain any traces of potentially harmful solvents or pesticides, but they can also confirm a product label’s claims about cannabinoid content and ingredients. Continue reading this article to learn how to read lab test results for THC products!
How to Read a Certificate of Analysis
When shopping for legitimate cannabis products, the first step should always be to look at third party lab test results. These will display the product's laboratory test results together with signatures and lab data to verify the product's testing location and time. The first thing you should check on a product's certificate of authenticity is the name of the laboratory that conducted the test. The lab name and contact details should typically appear in the upper left corner. The dates and signatures of the staff who carried out the test are shown at the bottom of the page. These are positive indicators that the lab report you are viewing is authentic.
Once you've confirmed that the COA is authentic, you’ll examine the cannabinoids that the product contains. If you divide the amount of delta-9 THC in the product by its total cannabinoid content, you will find its total percentage of THC. If this number is 0.3% or lower, the product is considered federally legal.
Lastly, the COA should list a variety of residual solvents and pesticides that were tested for. An “ND” in the column next to their names indicates that they were “Not Detected.” If this is the case, then the product should be safe to use!
Discover THC You Can Trust with Happy Fruit!
Every package of Happy Fruit gummies comes with a current COA attesting to the fact that it contains just the amount of cannabis we claim it does. As long as you know the fundamentals of delta-9 THC, we can also assure you that our gummies are safe to consume. You can read some posts on the Happy Fruit blog to find out more about the advantages of THC and how to use this cannabinoid. You can also peruse our assortment of premium THC edibles on our website!