We want you educated and aware and believe that it is in our best interest that you understand how to read the laboratory report in the form of a Certificate Of Analysis (COA) for your product that details the Cannabinoid Profile. You will identify your product in particular by the integrity or lot code inkjet mark on the container bottom.  The lot code is a four digit number with Alpha character suffix.  Product Lot Code is the same as the COA Sample.

Kicking Mule Hemp products are made by Shadow Works LLC.  Kicking Mule Hemp staff are one in the same as Shadow Works Staff and Kicking Mule Hemp products are the Shadow Works house brand of cost effective and reliable hemp sourced CBD and other cannabinoid products. Both businesses share the same personnel, building, facilities and fulfillment center.  Shadow Works manufactures hemp sourced products for other companies under their brand and label.

This primer is designed to teach the layman (a person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject) how to read a Certificate Of Analysis (COA) generated by a certified laboratory that details a Cannabinoid Profile.  Kicking Mule Hemp will commission a laboratory report to verify purity for each lot manufactured.  We use the COA report to validate or proof each batch so that you may trust the product label content.  You may use the COA report to verify our claim.  

This Certificate Of Analysis (COA) example is produced by Medicine Creek Analytics, which is owned by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Fife Washington.  They provide a full-service lab that provides full WA state I-502 (Marijuana) compliance testing, and are licensed and certified.   Their message includes:  We make accurate testing our mission.  At Medicine Creek Analytics, we believe in building long-term relationships with our many partners in the cannabis and hemp industry. We believe in providing accurate results to help you and your business create the best products. Our industry-leading science team, state-of-the-art equipment, and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation ensure your products are tested at the highest standard.

The integrity or lot code identifies the lot in particular and is evident on the Certificate of Analysis (COA) on the “Sample” identification and also next line down Lot or Batch #.  For a Kicking Mule Hemp sample name, you will normally see the alpha characters “KM” a space, then the lot code. The KM stands for Kicking Mule brand, the numbers and alpha character identify the lot in particular from all others.

It will be illustrative to use an actual Kicking Mule Hemp COA for reference.  In this case the COA identified by Sample: KM 3236A and Sample ID: 230830-020.  Bring up this COA so you may follow along on the actual COA.  The Sample and Sample ID identify this lot and your product in particular. 

Samples of product lots are retained at the shop for reference and future testing if necessary.  An oil sample is sent to the laboratory in a 1.33 ml glass vial identified by both Sample and Sample ID.  The COA result is our proof of purity before the product is packaged. 

The top ⅓ of the COA is administrative and almost self explanatory, so it will not be further elaborated here. The bottom ⅔ of the COA is presented in table format.  The pertinent cannabinoids are detailed under the column heading “Analyte” (substance to be analyzed).  The significant cannabinoids are CBD, CBG, CBN, THC and CBC.  The columns to the right detail the definition of the test and the result of the test per cannabinoid.

LOD  (Limit of Detection) - LOD defines the limit of this test, which in this case is 0.003%.  This means that if a substance is present in the mixture, it must be a concentration of higher than 0.003% in order for this test to be able to determine if the substance is present.  A very small amount of the substance, greater than 0.003%, would make the substance detectable in the mixture.  If the substance is not detectable, then the alpha characters “ND” are written to signify non-detectable. For THC Free products, the “ND” indicates that the laboratory could not detect THC in the mixture or product.

LOQ (Limit of Quantification) - LOQ defines the definition of the test.  This test can define the percentage of a substance in the mixture to the hundredth place.  In this test, any number to the right of the second decimal place (thousandth place) is a good prediction, but the test advertised and guaranteed definition is to the second decimal place equivalent to a hundredth of a percent.   

Result % (Cannabinoids by Percent) - This measure details the Cannabinoid by percent of the total mixture.  In this Sample: KM 3236A (kicking Mule assigned) and Sample ID: 230830-020 (Medicine Creek Analytics assigned), the total THC Percent is 0.195 %, which is below US Farm Bill compliance of less than 0.3% THC and also below the stricter EU Standard of 0.2% THC by design.  Note that the total CBD is 29.363%, not including other minor cannabinoids which are CBG 3.730% and CBN 3.289%.  Total cannabinoids in this Kicking Mule 3236A  oil exceed 36% of total. To keep it simple, more than 36% of the oil is  cannabinoids and all remaining is organic MCT coconut oil.  This cannabinoid heavy mixture approximately reaches the practical limit of suspending cannabinoids in MCT Coconut oil.  Higher percentages of cannabinoids risk falling out of solution in crystalline form.  

Result mg/g (Cannabinoids by Mass Measure) - This measure is milligrams of cannabinoid per gram of CBD oil blend material.  There are 1000 milligrams in one gram.  Note because the metric system is efficient, the milligrams per gram is the same ratio as percent, but presented for more information.

Result mg/unit (Cannabinoids Per Container) - This measure of Milligrams per Unit is what Kicking Mule Hemp uses to prove our product.  This measure should approximately meet or exceed the advertised milligrams of cannabinoids detailed on the bottle label. In the case of lot 3236A which is advertised at 10,000 mg Full Spectrum oil with CBD 80% (8324 mg measured), CBN 10% (932 mg measured) and CBG 10% (1057 mg measured) has a total of 10,313 mg of measured cannabinoids per ounce.  An ounce equals 28.35 grams.  We fill our bottles with 28.35 grams or more of CBD oil blended material.  

We trust that you feel qualified to read and understand your own laboratory report as it pertains to your purchased Kicking Mule Hemp product or someone else's.  The more you know, the better we look.