How to read a cannabis COA before you accept a transfer

Why the COA is your problem too

• A grower cannot sell or transfer a harvest batch until it passes every required test (63 O.S. § 427.17).
• Dispensaries may not buy, accept or sell product that has not passed all tests (OAC 442:10-8-1(d)(3)).
• Dispensaries must obtain the COAs for all harvest-batch tests before accepting a transfer (OAC 442:10-8-1(h)(3)).
• Licensees keep COAs for 7 years, on site and ready to show OMMA (OAC 442:10-8-1(h)(5)–(6)).

What every Oklahoma COA must show

• The lab’s name, address and license number
• The requester’s name and license number
• Sample type, primary sample weight and a unique sample ID
• The batch number
• Dates the sample was collected, received and analyzed
• Test methods and the reporting limit for each analyte
• The Metrc tag number, sample tag number and source package tag number
• A clear “pass” or “fail” for every analyte, in at least 12-point type, with “NT” marking anything not tested

Those requirements come from OAC 442:10-8-3(e). Labs are independent: owners of growers, processors and dispensaries may not own one.

What a flower batch has to pass

Oklahoma Watch reported in July 2026 that labs now screen flower for 28 pesticide analytes, up from 13, and lawmakers held an interim study on testing on October 13, 2026.

The 7-point check before you accept

1. The batch number on the COA matches the label and the Metrc manifest.
2. The source package tag on the COA matches the package you received.
3. Every analyte reads “pass.” A “fail,” or an “NT” on a required test, means stop.
4. The lab is licensed: look it up in OMMA Verify.
5. The dates make sense: sampled after harvest and before the transfer.
6. The THC on the label is within 15% of the COA, the tolerance in OAC 442:10-7-1.
7. You save the COA with the manifest. Both stay on file for 7 years.

Reading potency the right way

Most of the THC in cured flower is still THCA. Labs report total THC by converting THCA (multiplying by 0.877) and adding the THC already present, so compare total THC across vendors, not the THC line alone.

Potency is only one line on the report. Terpene totals, moisture and water activity tell you how the flower will smell, burn and hold up on the shelf.

Red flags

• A COA that shows up after the delivery, or only when you ask twice
• Batch numbers that differ between the COA, label and manifest
• A COA for a different strain or harvest date than the product
• A screenshot or retyped report instead of the lab’s PDF or the result in Metrc

How we handle COAs

Every Premium Organics harvest batch is tested by a licensed third-party lab before it leaves Noble. The COA is attached to the Metrc transfer, and your rep sends it with the menu so you can check it before you order.