How to check cannabis lab test results
Ask the dispensary for the certificate of analysis (COA) for the batch printed on the package. Many packages carry a QR code that opens the same document. The COA names the lab, the sample ID, the batch number, the test panel, and a pass or fail result for each panel.
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Step 1: Find the batch or package number
Every legal package has a batch number, a package ID, or both. In states that use Metrc, the number starts with a state code and appears on the label and the receipt. In BioTrack states the format differs but the function is the same. Write the number down before you call or email the store. A COA with no matching batch number proves nothing.
Step 2: Ask for the COA
Dispensary staff can print the COA or send it by email. Some stores post COAs on a tablet at the counter. Delivery and pickup services hold the file at the call center. If a store cannot produce a COA for the batch, that is a data gap, not a test result.
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Step 3: Read the potency panel
Cannabinoid results come in percent by weight. THC and THCA are listed apart. Total THC = (THCA x 0.877) + THC. The 0.877 factor converts THCA mass to THC mass after decarboxylation. A label that reads 30% THC on flower is total THC in most states. CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBN, and CBC appear on fuller panels. Values below the lab limit of quantification (LOQ) are marked ND or below LOQ.
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Step 4: Read the contaminant panel
Most states require tests for pesticides, microbials (total yeast and mold, aspergillus, salmonella, E. coli), heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury), and moisture or water activity. Extracts and concentrates also get residual solvent testing. Each row shows the analyte, the result in parts per million or parts per billion, the state action limit, and pass or fail. A failed batch is not legal for retail sale.
Step 5: Check the lab
Look for the lab name and license number on the COA. Many states require ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for the specific tests a lab performs. The accreditation scope lists which methods are covered. A lab accredited for potency but not pesticides should not sign off on a pesticide panel.
Step 6: Cross-check state records
State track-and-trace systems hold the same data the store sees. Regulators in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington publish testing rules and lab lists. Consumer lookups vary by state, so the COA remains the fastest record.
What to watch for
- Sample date older than the batch date. The test ran on a different lot.
- No batch number on the COA.
- Pass results with no action limits printed.
- Potency math that does not match the label.
- A COA from a lab with no license number.