COA’s or certificates of analysis should be an important part of your medical ganja buying experience. Every dispensary that provides medical marijuana has access to COA’s for every one of their products. You should be asking for them every time you try a new strain. Why, you ask? Well let me tell ya why.

A product’s COA (product meaning flower, pre-roll, tincture etc) contains the actual amounts of THC as well as the amounts of CBD and terpenes detected. Why is knowing these so important? Let me give you a real world example. In the pictures below is a COA for one of the latest strains I have been able to try called Dawg Waltz. Page 1 will show the total and breakdown of all the THC that was detected. Page 2 shows the total amounts of terpenes and their respective amounts as well.

My medical conditions that I use medical marijuana for are IBS, stress and insomnia from muscle-related issues. I have discovered that certain strains have been way more effective in helping these three conditions than others. Some of the most effective strains have had some of the lower amounts of THC (less than 16%) vs high THC strains that have levels well above 20%. But, upon reviewing the COA’s of the strains that I have found to be most effective, I have discovered that the best strains for me also have higher amounts of certain terpenes. (See COA below)

So you can see on the first page that this particular strain hailed in at @16% THC. Not on the highest end of THC content…no pun intended. But the terpene content is quite high (1.77%). So the next thing to look at is the breakdown of the terpenes. This strain has myrcene as the predominant terpene. Myrcene can be found in hops and other sweeter citrus fruits such as mangoes. While myrcene is great for those who have chronic pain and inflammation, I have found it to be less effective when it comes to my stomach ailments. Caryophyllene is the other predominant terpene in this strain which is the one terp that helps the most with stomach issues and anxiety and is found in such things as black pepper and oregano. So while there is a good amount caryophyllene in the Dawg Waltz strain, I am finding I need it to be the most dominant terpene for what I suffer from.

So based on the COA’s, I am now hunting for any strain that has more caryophyllene than any of the other terpenes and I am caring less and less what the total THC amount is for individual strains. An ideal strain for me would be one with caryophyllene as the dominant terpene and myrcene as the next dominant terpene. Those two combined make great medicine for me. I can sleep and more normal stomach function.

So the next time you are looking for a better strain to help with your individual health needs, make sure you ask for a COA of whatever it is you are trying and start to keep track of what works and what does not. Take notes in a journal. Keep track of what seems to work best and before you know it, your cannabis experience has gotten even better as has your overall health.