Vermont Cannabis Lab Testing & COAs: What Shows on a 2026 Certificate of Analysis

TL;DR: Every cannabis product sold at retail in Vermont must pass batch testing at an independent, CCB-licensed lab — Bia Diagnostics or Steep Hill Vermont, both in Colchester — before it can be shelved. The lab report, called a Certificate of Analysis (COA), shows potency, terpenes, pesticides, microbial pathogens and (for concentrates) heavy metals and residual solvents, each against a state action limit. Flower is capped at 30% total THC, concentrates at 60%. In Burlington, Upstate Elevator and Float On publish full COA libraries online; other shops provide them by QR code or on request.

Before a gram of flower or a 10mg gummy reaches the display case at any Vermont dispensary, it travels through an independent testing laboratory. Vermont's Cannabis Control Board (CCB) requires that every batch of cannabis sold at retail pass a battery of tests — and that results follow the product through the supply chain as a Certificate of Analysis, or COA. Most consumers never look at one. They probably should.

This guide covers what Vermont law actually mandates, what every panel on a COA means, how to read one without a chemistry degree, and which Burlington dispensaries currently make their test results publicly accessible.

What Vermont Law Requires: Testing by Product Type

Vermont's testing requirements live in CCB Rule 2, Section 2.9 — with specific numeric action limits set by a separate CCB guidance document. All testing must be conducted by an independent, CCB-licensed laboratory. As of 2026, two labs are licensed for adult-use cannabis testing in Vermont: Bia Diagnostics and Steep Hill Vermont, both located in Colchester. Both hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for cannabis testing.

Flower and Pre-Rolls

For smokeable cannabis flower, Rule 2.9 requires:

• Potency — THC, THCA, CBD, and total cannabinoids. Vermont caps flower at 30% total THC. Label variation tolerance is ±20% — so a product labeled 25% THC must test between 20% and 30%.
• Terpene analysis — required for all flower products. Results show individual terpene percentages (myrcene, caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, and others) plus a total terpene percentage.
• Pesticide residues — screened against CCB action limits. Up to five cultivars may be batched into a single pesticide test.
• Microbiological contaminants — Salmonella, STEC (Shiga toxin-producing E. coli), and Aspergillus species. All are pass/fail.
• Water activity — replaces older moisture-only testing. Water activity (Aw) predicts product stability and mold risk more accurately than moisture percentage alone. The CCB describes it as "a more accurate representation of stability of the product."

Concentrates

Testing requirements vary by extraction method:

• Solvent-extracted concentrates (BHO, CO₂, ethanol) — potency (60% THC cap), heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, copper, nickel), pesticides, and residual solvents. Extraction concentrates pesticide residues, which is why pesticide testing is mandatory here even when it might be batched for flower.
• Mechanically extracted concentrates (ice water hash, rosin) — potency and microbial testing. Heavy metals and residual solvents are not required because no solvent contacts the material.

Edibles and Beverages

Manufactured products require final-product potency testing plus a homogeneity check — confirming that THC is evenly distributed throughout each unit. (An unevenly mixed 10mg gummy batch can deliver 2mg in one piece and 18mg in the next.) The source flower or extract's pesticide and pathogen COAs must travel with the finished product through the supply chain.

How to Read a Vermont COA

Vermont COAs follow a standardized format across licensed labs, though visual design varies. Here's what each section means:

Header Block

Identifies the chain of custody: lab name and accreditation number, cultivator license number, product name, batch number and date, strain name, and the dates the sample was received and reported. If the batch date is more than a few weeks before the report date, ask why — long delays can indicate a failed retest.

Cannabinoid Potency Panel

The most-read section. Look for:

• Total THC — calculated as THC + (0.877 × THCA). This is the number that matters for dosing. Raw THCA converts to THC when heated.
• Total CBD — calculated similarly from CBD + (0.877 × CBDA).
• CBN — a degradation product of THC. Higher CBN suggests older or improperly stored cannabis.
• CBG — the "mother cannabinoid," increasingly present in specialty cultivars.

Terpene Panel

Individual terpene percentages sum to the total terpene percentage. Terpenes influence aroma, flavor, and — according to emerging research — may modulate the cannabis experience. Myrcene is typically the dominant terpene in indica-dominant strains; limonene in sativas; caryophyllene in many hybrids. A total terpene percentage above 3% is considered well-above-average for Vermont-grown flower.

Pesticide Residue Panel

A list of screened compounds with results versus CCB action limits. Each line shows the compound, its detected level (usually in parts per million or parts per billion), the action limit, and a pass/fail status. A PASS here means no individual pesticide exceeded its action limit — it does not mean zero pesticides detected. Some pesticides are permitted at low levels.

Microbiological Panel

Pass/fail for Salmonella, STEC, and Aspergillus species. A FAIL triggers a mandatory hold and remediation or destruction of the batch. This panel is non-negotiable — pathogens that can cause serious illness in immunocompromised users.

Heavy Metals Panel

Required for concentrates and vaporizer products. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, copper, and nickel are tested against CCB action limits. Cannabis is an especially effective bioaccumulator of heavy metals from soil, which is why concentrate testing is more stringent — the extraction process concentrates not just cannabinoids but any metals present.

Water Activity

Aw values run from 0 (bone dry) to 1 (pure water). Well-cured cannabis flower typically measures between 0.55 and 0.65 Aw. Above 0.70 Aw, mold risk rises sharply. This number also predicts shelf life: a lower Aw means the product will stay stable longer in storage.

Overall Result

The final PASS or FAIL. A single failing panel — one pesticide over limit, one pathogen detected — fails the entire batch. Failed product cannot be sold at retail; it must be remediated or destroyed.

Which Burlington Dispensaries Publish COAs

Vermont regulations require cultivators to make COAs accessible to consumers — either via a website link, QR code on the packaging, or similar means. Not every retailer goes beyond minimum compliance.

Two Burlington dispensaries have built dedicated, publicly accessible COA libraries:

Upstate Elevator Dispensary (699 Pine St) maintains a "Lab Analysis" page on their website, organized by product category — flower and pre-rolls, bulk flower, gummies and chocolate, beverages, tinctures, and vapes and concentrates. COA PDFs are stored in Google Drive folders and accessible without account creation. Upstate is among the most transparent retailers in the Vermont market.

Float On Dispensary (136½ Church St) hosts a "/testing-info" page with downloadable COA documents organized by year. Each document includes batch date, batch number, cultivator license, strain, and species. Float On's transparency page covers flower, concentrates, and edibles.

Other Burlington dispensaries — including Heybud, True 802, Bern Gallery, and Garcia's — may provide COAs via in-store QR codes on packaging or upon request, as permitted under CCB rules. If you can't find COA documentation on a dispensary's website, ask the budtender; shops are required to be able to produce it.

Practical Tips for Using COAs

• Match the batch number — COAs are batch-specific. The batch number on your packaging should match the COA. A general store COA posted without batch numbers doesn't prove your specific product passed testing.
• Check the date — COAs expire in the sense that they reflect conditions at time of testing. A 12-month-old COA on flower sitting in storage today tells you about water activity the day it was tested, not today.
• Total THC, not THCA — the "Total THC" line (THC + 0.877 × THCA) is the number that matters for potency. Raw THCA doesn't get you high; it converts when you apply heat.
• Terpenes explain the experience as much as potency — two 25% THC strains with very different terpene profiles will feel different. A strain with high myrcene is likely sedating; high limonene is likely uplifting. The COA tells you which you're getting.

For a broader introduction to Vermont's cannabis market, see our Vermont Cannabis Guide.