About — J.P. Hemp Company
How to Read a Certificate of Analysis
A certificate of analysis is the document that shows what is actually in a hemp preparation — how to read one, what to look for, and what the numbers mean.
A Certificate of Analysis is a laboratory document reporting the measured composition of a specific production batch. When you scan the QR code on one of our preparations or enter a batch number in the COA portal, what you receive is the actual test record for the batch in your hand — not a sample result, not an average across recent batches, but the specific analytical data from the batch that was tested.
COA formats vary somewhat between laboratories, but the core structure is consistent. This guide walks through each section so the document reads clearly rather than as a wall of unfamiliar terminology.
I
Laboratory Information
The top section of a COA identifies the testing laboratory — its name, accreditation credentials, contact information, and the date analysis was conducted. The accreditation credentials are the first thing worth checking. Accreditation from a recognized body — ISO/IEC 17025 is the relevant standard for analytical testing laboratories — indicates that the laboratory's methods, equipment, and quality systems have been independently verified. An unaccredited laboratory's results carry less interpretive weight than an accredited one's, because accreditation is the mechanism that validates the testing process itself.
All testing we commission is conducted by accredited third-party laboratories. The laboratory has no stake in the results — their job is accurate measurement, and their accreditation is their commitment to that standard.
II
Batch Identification
The batch identification section confirms that the COA in front of you corresponds to the preparation in your hand. It lists the product name or sample description, the batch or lot number, the date the sample was received by the laboratory, and the date testing was completed. The batch number on your bottle and outer packaging should match the batch number on the COA exactly. If they don't match, the document you are looking at is not the test record for your batch.
How to verify your batch
Every preparation we produce carries a batch number printed on the bottle and outer packaging. Enter that number at the COA portal or scan the QR code on the label. The record returned corresponds to the specific batch that was prepared, tested, and delivered — not a prior batch with similar characteristics.
III
Cannabinoid Profile (Potency Panel)
The potency panel is where cannabinoid concentrations are reported. Values are typically expressed as a percentage by weight, as milligrams per gram, or as milligrams per unit — and sometimes all three. The labeled strength on our preparations is derived from the milligrams per unit value, which is what the potency panel documents for each cannabinoid present in measurable concentration.
On acidic vs. neutral forms
Cannabinoids occur naturally in acidic form in the living plant and convert to their neutral forms through decarboxylation — triggered by heat, time, or processing. A full-spectrum preparation may contain both forms. The profile panel reports each separately. The "Total CBD" value, when present, combines CBD and a calculated portion of CBDA to reflect total potential CBD content. This is a reporting convention, not a measure of activation or bioavailability.
IV
Safety Screening Panels
Contaminant screening results appear alongside or following the potency panel. Each category is tested against established thresholds, and results are reported as Pass, Not Detected, or as measured values with comparison to the applicable limit. A "Pass" result means the measured value falls within the acceptable range for that contaminant. "Not Detected" means the contaminant was not found at or above the laboratory's detection limit for that method.
Screening Panel 1
Heavy Metals
Tests for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Hemp is a bioaccumulator — it draws compounds from the soil it grows in, which is why cultivation soil health is the first line of defense and laboratory testing documents what cultivation produced. Limits are set by state regulatory standards and USP guidelines.
Screening Panel 2
Pesticide Residues
Screens for agricultural chemical residues from the growing environment. We cultivate without synthetic pesticides; testing verifies that no residues are present above detection thresholds regardless of that commitment.
Screening Panel 3
Residual Solvents
Applicable when solvent-based extraction methods are used. Tests for residual ethanol and other solvent compounds that may remain in the finished preparation. Limits are set by USP General Chapter <467> and applicable state regulations. Our ethanol-extracted preparations are tested for residual solvent content as a standard screening step.
Screening Panel 4
Microbial Contaminants
Screens for total aerobic bacterial count, yeast, mold, and specified pathogens. Relevant to both cultivation conditions and post-harvest handling. Limits follow state regulatory standards and USP guidelines for botanical preparations.
V
Analytical Methods
Accredited laboratories use validated analytical methods matched to the type of compound being measured. The methods section of a COA identifies which technique was used for each panel. You are not required to understand these in depth, but knowing what they do at a general level removes the opacity of encountering unfamiliar abbreviations on a document that should be easy to read.
The standard method for cannabinoid potency analysis. Separates compounds in a liquid sample by passing them through a column at high pressure, then identifies and quantifies each compound by how it responds to a detector. HPLC can measure both acidic and neutral cannabinoid forms without heat, which matters because heat destroys acidic forms like CBDA and THCA — making HPLC preferable to older gas chromatography methods for full cannabinoid profiling.
Used primarily for residual solvent analysis. Vaporizes the sample and passes it through a column in gas form, then identifies compounds by their mass spectrum — essentially a molecular fingerprint. Exceptionally sensitive for detecting volatile compounds like ethanol and other solvents at very low concentrations. The mass spectrometry component allows positive identification of specific compounds rather than just detection of something present.
Used for heavy metal analysis. Converts the sample to a plasma state using extremely high-temperature ionized gas, then identifies metal elements by their atomic mass. Capable of detecting metals at parts-per-billion concentrations — the sensitivity level required for meaningful safety screening of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in botanical preparations.
VI
What a COA Is — and Is Not
A Certificate of Analysis documents measured composition and contaminant screening results at the time of testing. It confirms what is in the preparation and that it meets established safety standards for the screened categories. It is not a therapeutic endorsement, a clinical claim, or a prediction of individual response. Its job is narrower and more precise than any of those things — and that precision is what makes it meaningful.
We provide COAs because batch-level documentation is the concrete form of what transparency means for a preparation company. Anyone can describe their process. A COA shows what the process produced, measured by an independent laboratory with no stake in the results. If you have questions about a specific document — a value that seems unexpected, a compound you don't recognize, a screening result that isn't clear — we welcome the inquiry. The documentation is meant to be read, not filed.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. J.P. Hemp Company products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.