Monthly Archives: August 2019

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What is a Certificate of Analysis (COA) (and How to Read)

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in CBD NEWS

What is a certificate of analysis coa

CBD is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get unless you do a little reading. With CBD oil, it should be as easy as checking the box, but there’s an unfortunate problem of mislabeled products. Protect yourself from fake or low-quality products by doing your due diligence —always check the Certificate of Analysis. If there isn’t one, steer clear. 

What is a Certificate of Analysis (COA)? 

A Certificate of Analysis, or COA, is a document from an accredited laboratory that shows the quantity of various cannabinoids in a product. 

Manufacturers should send every batch of every product they make to a lab for testing, to protect their customers and prove that their products have as much CBD as they advertise. 

Always check the COA before using a CBD product 

COAs aren’t always easy to get your hands on before buying a product. You may need to reach out to the company to request it. 

However, once you receive your product, there should be a QR code on the label that you can scan and be taken to a webpage with the product’s COA. Most iPhones can scan QR codes through the regular camera, just open the camera app and point it at the QR code (don’t take a picture, just hover over the QR code) and a notification should pop up with a web address. For Android or older iPhones, simply go to the app store and search for a “QR code scanner”. There are free options to download.

cbd qr code coa

Not all states require QR codes on CBD products, but it has become a common practice anyway as reputable companies want this information to be readily available to all of their customers. 

If you can’t get a COA from the manufacturer’s website, customer service, or the product label, that’s not good. A quality CBD company will always get their products lab tested. After all, a COA is as much for the customer as it is for the company to double-check the quality of their work for quality assurance purposes. 

🚩 4 red flags to watch out for in a Certificate of Analysis

Once you get a Certificate of Analysis, inspect it thoroughly. Here are a few things to watch out for. 

1. Too much THC

To be considered hemp oil, by law, it cannot contain above 0.3% THC. If it contains more, then it’s considered marijuana and may not be legal in your state. 

Also, if your product is advertised as containing no THC, then reading the COA is a good way to verify that claim. 

2. Less CBD than advertised

This one is obvious, but for good measure, we’re mentioning it. It’s very important to make sure the Certificate of Analysis reflects the advertised CBD content on your product’s label. 

3. Missing cannabinoids

If a CBD product is marketed as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or PCR, that means it contains a variety of cannabinoids. The COA should show the product contains at least small amounts of CBDa, CBG, CBC, CBN, and/or other cannabinoids, in addition to CBD. 

4. Tested in-house

When buying a car from a stranger, you don’t take their word for the condition they claim the car is in. You check it out or bring someone with you that knows what to look for. 

That thought process is similar when it comes to testing CBD products. If the Certificate of Analysis came from the company themselves, meaning they tested it in-house, they might be telling the truth —but it’s not as reassuring as an unbiased professional performing the test. 

Unless you really trust a company, it’s a good idea to make sure their COAs come from an accredited third-party lab. If they don’t, ask if they can provide one as they may have both available. 

How to read a COA lab test 

COAs are not always easy to read, and there are many different formats. 

Typically, you’re going to see COAs that show the results in one of the following three ways: 

  • Milligrams (mg) of CBD in the full product 
  • Milligrams (mg) of CBD per gram (g) 
  • Milligrams (mg) of CBD per milliliter (ml) 

Note that we are using CBD as an example, but the same goes for all other cannabinoids in the COA. 

That first type of result means you don’t need to do any work or calculations, as it already shows you the total amounts of each cannabinoid in the product. However, for the others, you will need to know one thing about the product in order to make your calculations. 

Before explaining those two test result formats, we should refresh our memory on units of measurements. A milliliter (ml) is a measurement of volume. So even though most liquid CBD products will show the size in ounces (oz), you can convert that. 1oz will always equal 30ml. However, grams (g) is a weight. Two 30ml tinctures will not weigh the same in grams, as the weight is affected by each ingredient in the product’s unique formulation.

MG per G 

If the results show the amount of cannabinoids per gram, then you need to know the total weight of the product in grams. The weight does not include the packaging, just the product itself. Most products do not show their weight in grams on the label, so you may need to ask or check if the COA contains that information. 

For example, a product weighing 25 grams with an advertised 300mg of CBD should have 12mg of CBD per gram. 

MG per ML 

If the results show the amount of cannabinoids per milliliter, then it’s a little easier. However, this type of measurement only (easily) works for liquids. Simply take the total milliliters of the product and multiply it by the amount of CBD per milliliter. 

Liquid tinctures will always tell you their size, such as 1oz (30ml) or 2oz (60ml). 

So, for example, a 1oz (30ml) tincture with an advertised 300mg CBD should contain 10mg of CBD per milliliter. 

Other types of lab tests 

In addition to the standard cannabinoid profile, it’s also common to find full-panel lab tests. These show the cannabinoid profile and terpene analysis, as well as checking for any molds, pests, or heavy metals that could be harmful over certain levels. 

Checking COAs on Made by Hemp 

At Made by Hemp, we make sure COAs are not only easy to access, but they’re also easy to read. Go to any product listing in our CBD store and click the “lab test results” link below the product title to review the results in PDF format. 

Our test results are all from a third-party lab. However, our results are in milligrams of CBD per gram so, to assist with reading our COAs, the weight in grams of the product is included in the COA and the calculations are performed to immediately show you the total CBD in the product. 

As a bonus, the percentage of each cannabinoid is included in the results, which is especially helpful to see that it contains 0.3% or less THC per the legal limit. 

Contributed Post. Article originally posted on https://madebyhemp.com/

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And thanks for reading!  🙂

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Launching An Online DIY Store

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Everything is online now. In fact, many people will source tools and wires for more significant projects online too. The bottom line is it is cheaper all around, atypically faster. Although there will always be a place for putting your boots on and walking around a DIY store that smells like wood and paint, it is easier to order in bulk online. But when you are thinking about opening a DIY store online, there are a few things you might want to think about. 

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Storage

Your store is online, which cuts down on a lot of costs already, but you’re still going to need plenty of storage. You’ll need somewhere to store all of your stock. Most of the time, a garage will do – depending on what you are doing and the levels of stock you intend to sell. Of course, over time you’ll likely expand, and in doing so, you’ll need higher stock levels and more storage – but for the meantime factor space into the cost. 

Supplies and Kits

Depending on what you are going to be selling, it will mean you might need to have some suppliers lined up. There is always the opportunity to have your own tools and wires created, but you need rapid prototyping and probably need to buy in bulk. You need to provide, at a minimum, the basics that every tool she would need. Or, if you decide to be specialized, then that is great – but remember that buyers come in all budgets. So you’ll need to have a basic range right up to a high-end (which you can order at a moments notice should anyone order one). 

When it comes to kits, people aren’t always savvy with everything they need. So if you can put kits together like – replacing a door frame, beginners plumbing kits, essential tools kit… you get the idea. Easy kits that people can purchase and have everything from the screws to the right putty. 

Information

Part of the reason so many people head to a DIY store is for information on the project they are undertaking. But you can jump the gun and prepare some blog posts that cover a range of topics. Think about the most common things people are looking for and answer those questions. 

  • What color should grout be?
  • What’s the best way to clean paint brushes?
  • Can I repair bricks and pointing myself?
  • How do you bleed radiators?
  • How to fix a faulty lightswitch
  • The quickest way to clean clogged outdoor pipes
  • How to unclog a toilet

Experts

If you are thinking about opening a DIY store, the chances are not only do you have a lot of experience personally but you probably also know a lot of people who might be classed as experts in their field. Along with the instructions and general questions and articles you should have, consider having some videos. Where the experts give recommendations about tools (that you stock), and how to complete a job at home. 

People are more likely to buy from other people who they consider an expert in their field. 

Contributed Post.

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And thanks for reading!  🙂

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Maximizing Your Freelancing

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When you are freelancing, it might be tempting to stay in the same room to work all the time. But the fact is that most freelancers don’t take full advantage of what they can do. Yes, we are all sold many stories about digital nomads who make 6 figures from their yachts in the Caribbean. And while there are many people who are making that money and more, and sometimes indeed from their boat – they put the work in first. For the rest, it’s smoke and mirrors. 

When we are talking about maximizing your freelancing, we are talking about how you can run a much larger operation, be more productive and even build a team. 

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Productivity

This should be where you start really. Once you are personally more productive, you’ll be working to a better pace and be freeing up more time to take care of the other things. It isn’t about working harder, it is about working smarter. So when you finally make the decision to streamline your own workflow and take care of business you should take a look at the following to help you on the way:

  • Focus Booster – so that you only work to designated timers, take a break when required, and it syncs across all of your technology. 
  • Evernote – helps with new ideas, you can save links, photos, screenshots, articles and more
  • Buffer – manage your social media needs in one place, take 3 hours out of your month and create a month of content
  • Pocket – if you know you will use the information again, put it in Pocket and go back to it at a later date

Team Building

If you are a freelancer, then chances are you are going to be better off building a talent pool that you can dip into when you need to complete specific projects. Start this process early, and put together a pool of creatives that are all freelance. Keep communication lines open, so you will know if they have the capacity. You’ll likely only need a single tool for your team management, and you’ll want to make sure they can all use it easily. Find something with a cloud, business phone system, and proper security management. 

Growth

So, now you’re very productive, and you have a talent pool of freelancers you know you can call on for ad-hoc jobs, it’s time to focus on growth. There are a few things that are tried and true ways to grow your business with some speed. Here are a few suggestions for you:

  • Sales funnel – Take time before you build it – where do you want to take people? What is the hook? What software will you use? Tools: Leadformly, Everwebinar, Facebook Lead Ads
  • Loyalty – if you have repeat buyers, you will want to reward that loyalty, so they keep coming back. Think emails will discounts, offers, and other incentives to make a purchase
  • Diversify – look at what you offer now, what would work with those offerings? In order to grow, you need to expand your services. Put serious consideration into what will work here, don’t add things for the sake of it. 

Freelancers now have access to tools, teams, and technology that can super-boost their careers. 

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂