A certificate of analysis answers two questions: what is in the product, and what isn't. The first is the cannabinoid panel. The second is everything else: heavy metals, microbes, mycotoxins, pesticides, solvents and foreign material. Below is a real Canna River report, batch 260826CBDNGCRB, a Broad Spectrum gummy tested by PharmLabs San Diego and reported on October 21, 2026, read one panel at a time.
The header: is this report for your package?
Before any numbers, check the identity block. On this report it reads: batch ID 260826CBDNGCRB, sample ID SD261005-125, matrix "Edible", received October 5, reported October 21, 30 servings per unit, 5.4 g per serving. The batch ID is the one that matters, because it is printed on the package. If the batch on your package doesn't match the batch on the report, the report is about a different production run.
Two more lines are worth a glance: the lab's accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025:2017, accreditation number 85368) and the QR code, which links to the lab's own copy so you can confirm the PDF hasn't been edited.
Panel 1: cannabinoids
Measured by HPLC, the standard method for cannabinoids because it doesn't heat the sample and so doesn't convert acid forms like THCA into THC. Each row has six columns:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| LOD | Limit of detection: the smallest amount the method can tell apart from zero. |
| LOQ | Limit of quantitation: the smallest amount it can put a reliable number on. |
| % | Share of the sample's weight. |
| mg/g | Milligrams per gram of product. |
| mg/Serving | The number to compare with the label's per-gummy amount. |
| mg/Unit | The whole container. |
For this batch, the label says 50 mg CBD, 25 mg CBN and 25 mg CBG per gummy. The report measured:
| Cannabinoid | Label per gummy | Measured per serving | Measured per container |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBD | 50 mg | 65.61 mg | 1,968.30 mg |
| CBN | 25 mg | 36.07 mg | 1,082.16 mg |
| CBG | 25 mg | 30.78 mg | 923.40 mg |
| CBC | Not labeled | 8.75 mg | 262.44 mg |
| Delta-9 THC | None (Non-THC) | ND | ND |
| THCA | None | ND | ND |
Three things to read from it. First, every labeled cannabinoid measured above its label amount: CBD came in at 65.61 mg against 50 mg on the label. Second, the report states the method's expanded uncertainty, about ±7.81% at 95% confidence. That's the margin to allow whenever you compare a result with a label. Third, "Total THC" is calculated as THCA × 0.877 + delta-9 THC, which accounts for the weight THCA loses when it converts. Here both inputs are ND, so total THC is ND. ND means nothing was found down to the method's detection limit: a measurement, not a promise of zero.
Panel 2: heavy metals
Measured by ICP-MS/MS in micrograms per gram. The four metals tested and the limits printed on the report:
| Metal | Limit (µg/g) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 1.5 | ND |
| Cadmium | 0.5 | ND |
| Mercury | 3 | ND |
| Lead | 0.5 | ND |
The detection limits are far below the action limits. Lead, for example, has a detection limit of 0.0006 µg/g against a limit of 0.5, more than 800 times lower, so ND here is a strong result.
Panel 3: microbials
Tested by plating for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella, in colony-forming units per gram. Both ND, against a limit of 1 CFU/g.
Panel 4: mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxins made by some moulds. Measured by LC-MS/MS: aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, and ochratoxin A. All ND. The limits are 20 µg/kg for total aflatoxins and 20 µg/kg for ochratoxin A.
Panel 5: pesticides
More than 60 pesticides screened by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS, from abamectin to trifloxystrobin. Every one ND. When reading this panel, don't look for a summary line; scan the Result column for anything other than ND.
Panel 6: residual solvents
Twenty solvents screened by headspace GC, including butane, hexane, benzene and chloroform. Two show "<LOQ": ethanol and methanol, meaning a trace was detected below the level the method can quantify. For scale, the printed limits for those two are 5,000 and 3,000 µg/g. Everything else is ND.
Panel 7: filth and foreign material
A microscope inspection for sand, soil, mould, insect fragments, hair and embedded foreign material, each against a printed threshold. All ND.
What a COA doesn't tell you
- It is a snapshot. The report states it is "valid only as of the date of issuance."
- It is one batch. Results "apply only to the specific sample(s) and batch(es) identified on this COA."
- It is not a legal opinion. PharmLabs states its reports do not certify compliance with any law, including the 2018 Farm Bill.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the report for my package?
Search the batch ID printed on the package in the product documentation library.
What does <LOQ mean?
Detected, but below the smallest amount the method can put a reliable number on.
Why are there both per-serving and per-unit columns?
Per serving is what you compare with the label. Per unit is the whole container: here 30 servings.
Do all Canna River reports include every panel?
The panels run depend on the batch and the lab. Check the panel headings on your batch's report.
Canna River products are intended for adults 21 and over. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
