CBD Lab Test Results. How to Read your COA.

CBD Lab Test Results can be confusing but they are important to understand when purchasing CBD products.

Redeem Therapeutics is committed to staying transparent and truthful. One of the ways we do this is by providing independent (third-party) CBD lab test results for all of our products.  We then post the results, known as a certificate of analysis or COA for each batch on our website. 

Each CBD product made by Redeem Therapeutics will have a corresponding Certificate of Analysis that you can find on our Test Results page. A COA helps to keep our customers safe and informed and ensures that our products are made to specification.  It’s all part of our Redeem Promise.

What is Third-Party CBD Lab Test Results & Testing?

Using a reputable third-party laboratory is critical to obtaining unbiased results.  A third-party lab is paid by the sponsor (the product manufacturer) so there is the potential for a conflict of interest. 

As the consumer, the way to ensure that the third-party results you are viewing are valid is to make sure the lab is ISO accredited.  ISO stands for International Standards Organization. 

You have probably heard of quality standards such as ISO 9000 or ISO9002.  These standards are not specific to any one industry.  But, there are standards that are industry specific. 

When it comes to contract laboratories you want to look for ISO17025 accreditation.  This certification means that the laboratory is inspected annually by a certifying body to ensure that they have an adequate quality system in place and have the competency and ability to perform the tests correctly and accurately. 

A reputable third-party lab should have a current ISO 17025 certification.  You can check a CBD test lab’s accreditation by going to the laboratory’s website.  If they are accredited, they will make it available for verification online.   

Any COA report supplied by an unaccredited laboratory should be regarded as suspect.

Where can you find Redeem’s Third-party CBD Lab Test Results?

Finding the test results associated with our product is easy! Just match the lot number (also called batch number) found on your bottle, to the lot number on our test results page. You can also get to the lab test results page fast and easily by scanning the QR Code on the product label.  Once on the page, scroll down to the lot number of your product.

Test results will cover product effectiveness such as CBD potency, THC level, and terpene concentrations, as well as product safety concerns such as residual solvents, heavy metals, aflatoxins, pesticides, and microbial analysis.  Consistent potency and purity are critical to the effectiveness and safety of CBD products.  That’s why we got into this business; to Redeem the industry by providing the highest quality, most effective CBD products available!

How To Read Our Third Party Lab Results?

1.  Cannabinoid Potency:  This test is typically the first one listed on a COA.  Cannabinoid potency lists all of the cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, CBG, and THC that are found in the product and their concentrations.  A full spectrum product may show results for many cannabinoids, while a broad spectrum may show only a few.   product may only list This is how you know if a product contains the amount of CBD that is claimed on the label and that it complies with less than 0.3% THC under federal law.

2.  Terpene Analysis:  Terpenes are beneficial compounds that are found in many plants, including hemp.  Some important terpenes include myrcene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, linalool, eucalyptol, humulene, and limonene.  These compounds have a synergistic effect known as the “Entourage Effect” when combined with CBD and other cannabinoids.  Terpenes will typically only be found in full spectrum certificates of analysis.  There are no specifications for the quantity and variety of individual terpenes that should be present in a full-spectrum hemp product.  However, Redeem ensures that each batch of our full spectrum (Optimal Spectrum) formulations has a consistent terpene profile by tightly controlling the growth of specific hemp strains and adding terpenes that are found to be below our internal specification back into our full-spectrum product.  This care in formulation leads to the most consistent CBD formulations available on the market.

3.  Heavy Metals:  This test screens the product for Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury.  These heavy metals are of concern because they are toxic, causing organ and neurological damage, and they are hard to remove from the human body.  Heavy metals can find their way into CBD or other cannabinoid products if the soil that the hemp was grown in is contaminated.  Hemp is a bio-accumulator.  It is very good at absorbing contaminants that are in the soil.  In fact, hemp is used in the phytoremediation of soils that have been contaminated by industrial waste such as heavy metals.   When reviewing the heavy metal test results, you want to ensure that result is below the listed limit or stated as ND (none detected).

4.  Residual Solvents:  The residual solvents test is performed to ensure that any solvents that were used to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp flower have been removed by distillation prior to use of the extract in the product.  Reputable CBD companies use either food-grade alcohol (ethanol) or CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) as an extraction solvent.   Redeem uses CO2 for extraction of our organic certified hemp because it is safe (not flammable or explosive) and non-toxic.  Some companies do use harsh and toxic solvents like propane, butane, or isopropanol.   When reviewing the residual solvent section of a COA ensure that no toxic solvents are present.

5.  Mycotoxins:  Hemp that is contaminated with mold such as Aspergillus Niger (black mold) can contain mycotoxins.  There are two toxins of concern Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin.  These toxins are potent carcinogens and can cause kidney, liver, and immunity suppression.  Mold is typically introduced into hemp that is not stored and dried properly before extraction.  When reviewing a COA ensure that no Aflatoxin or Ochratoxin is present.

6.  Pesticides:  Everyone knows that pesticides have the potential to cause health problems in people.  That is why Redeem uses only certified organic hemp flower.  Our hemp is grown with the use of beneficial insects and Purple Marin’s to reduce pests that damage the crop.  But we still test our hemp and our final product to provide our customers the reassurance they deserve.  There are too many pesticides to list here, but when reviewing a COA, you should verify that none are detected (ND).

What about Testing the Hemp Itself, before extraction?

In some ways, all the testing explained above is a forgone conclusion.  That is because, before Redeem accepts our Organic Certified Hemp for use, we test it with an ISO 17025 certified laboratory.  The bottom line is that you can not test in quality.  You must do everything possible to ensure that your starting materials are pure and meet the necessary specification.  If you do anything less, then you will find yourself in a situation of trying to inspect in quality by rejecting non-conforming products, instead of being proactive and preventing an issue in the first place.   That is our philosp[hy here at Redeem.  Before we use hemp flower in our process, it is also tested by a third party laboratory that provides Redeem with a hemp certificate of analysis.

At Redeem, we are dedicated to providing the safest, most consistent, and highest quality CBD products.  That is our highest priority and promise to you.