Short answer
Purity is not one number. A hemp-derived cannabinoid product passes as pure only when a lab reports potency plus contaminants. Potency tells you how much CBD, delta-8 THC, or HHC sits in the material. Contaminant panels tell you what else is in it: residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and microbes. A certificate of analysis (COA) that lists potency alone leaves the largest risk unmeasured.
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What a full panel covers
- Potency: HPLC or LC-UV, reported in mg/g or percent by weight.
- Residual solvents: headspace GC-MS or GC-FID. This matters for delta-8 THC, which manufacturers make from CBD in solvent.
- Pesticides: LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, run against a state or EPA list.
- Heavy metals: ICP-MS for lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury.
- Microbials: total aerobic count, yeast and mold, E. coli, salmonella.
- Mycotoxins: aflatoxins and ochratoxin A.
Potency is not purity
A label that reads 95% delta-8 THC states one thing: 95% of the sample mass matched the delta-8 peak on the instrument. It says nothing about the other 5%. That fraction can hold unreacted CBD, unknown reaction byproducts, acid catalyst residue, or solvent. Potency testing also cannot confirm the absence of pesticides or lead. Buyers who treat a potency percentage as a purity score skip the panels that catch those items.
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Why converted cannabinoids test differently
Delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, HHC, and THCP come from chemical conversion of CBD. The reaction uses acid and solvent, and it produces side products. A lab can quantify the target cannabinoid and still miss byproducts that have no reference standard. Method coverage for these compounds is thinner than for CBD or delta-9 THC. Labs report what their method detects, not what the mixture contains.
How to read a COA
- Find the lab name and its accreditation number, such as ISO/IEC 17025.
- Match the batch or lot number on the COA to the number on the package.
- Check the test date. A COA from 2021 does not describe a 2024 batch.
- Confirm the panel includes solvents and pesticides, not potency only.
- Look for limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ). "Not detected" carries no weight without them.
- Check the delta-9 THC result against 0.3% on a dry weight basis, the federal hemp limit set by the 2018 Farm Bill.
Where testing stops
Most state hemp programs do not require contaminant panels for finished consumer products. Testing rules apply to the raw agricultural crop, not to a vape cartridge on a shelf. The FDA has not approved delta-8 THC for any use and has issued warnings about products whose labels did not match tested content. No USP monograph exists for these compounds. Method gaps remain for isomers and byproducts.
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Convenience and the testing gap
Hemp-derived cannabinoids sell in gas stations, smoke shops, and online stores, often with a QR code standing in for lab data. Speed of purchase favors a printed potency figure. Purity requires reading the full panel, checking batch numbers, and accepting that some products have no solvent test on record.