The LabLinks Blog
Hemp and CBD lab testing, COA compliance, and certification, explained for the brands and Shopify merchants who publish lab reports to their customers.
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Cannabinoid Compliance in 2026: What the New Total-THC Hemp Rule Means for Your Products
Hemp is being redefined from 0.3% delta-9 THC to 0.3% total THC under H.R. 5371. Here is what changes, when, and the steps to get your products and COAs ready.
CBD Compliance for Shopify Stores: Selling Within the Rules
Selling CBD on Shopify means satisfying the FDA on claims, your payment processor on documentation, and several state rules at once. Here is what each one gates on and how to publish the COA that keeps you online.
Do You Need a COA to Sell CBD on Shopify?
Federal law does not run a storefront approval, but the parties that gate your CBD business effectively require a COA. Here is who asks, what the COA must contain, and how to publish it on Shopify.
Hemp Testing Requirements: A Brand's Compliance Checklist
A practical, checklist-driven walkthrough of hemp testing requirements: what to test, how often, which labs to trust, and how the total-THC rule changes your COAs.
Certification
Hemp-Derived CBD Product Certification: COAs, Seals, and What Actually Builds Trust
There is no federal CBD certification mark. The COA is the de facto credential, and a clickable batch report beats any logo on the label.
Third-Party Lab Testing vs In-House: What Customers Actually Trust
In-house QC and independent labs do different jobs. Here is why third-party, accredited COAs are the proof customers, processors, and marketplaces actually accept.
Testing Explained
Batch-Level COAs: Why One PDF Link Is Not Enough
A single PDF link in your product description breaks the moment a new batch ships. Here is why a batch COA is run-specific and what a real batch-level system needs.
Hemp Heavy Metal Testing: Why Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Mercury Matter
Hemp is a hyperaccumulator that draws metals from the soil it grows in. Here is what lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are, why labs test for them, and how to read the heavy-metals section of a COA.
Hemp Testing 101: From Seed to COA
A plain-language walk through hemp testing, from the pre-harvest check in the field to the batch COA your customers care about.
How to Read a CBD Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Read any CBD Certificate of Analysis with confidence. This walkthrough breaks down the header, potency table, total THC math, LOD/LOQ, and the contaminant panels.
What a Hemp COA Tests For: Potency, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, and More
A full-panel hemp COA covers far more than CBD percentage. Here is each panel a reputable lab runs, what it catches, and why your customers should care.
Reference
Hemp Testing Columns Explained: HPLC, GC, and What Those COA Methods Mean
A plain-English glossary of the chromatography methods on your COA. What HPLC, GC, ICP-MS, and LC-MS/MS actually measure, and why the column matters.
Hemp Testing Software and Informatics: From the Lab's LIMS to Your Storefront
A plain-language guide to the lab's LIMS and informatics stack, how COA data flows to a brand, and the one task that is actually yours: publishing the report.