Guide for looking up certificates of analysis (COA) yourself

[Update April 2022: The YouTuber calling themselves "Smoke with me in CT" had nothing to do with this effort, and in fact actively subverted it. They should not be trusted.]

[Update March 2022: This guidance has now been updated]

Here's how to look up certificates of analysis yourself:

1. Locate the 5-digit number that appears on your dispensary's menu listing for the product you're interested in. It's also on the product label. It may not always be 5 numbers, but it's usually right after the THC % number. I think the program's official term for this unique coding is "package ID."

2. Visit Connecticut's Medical Marijuana Brand Registry.

3. Search the Medical Marijuana Brand Registry for that "package ID" from step 1.

4. Under the resulting "LAB-ANALYSIS" column, open the "Report" link.

5. The file it gives you is the certificate of analysis, or COA. This document is a report of the lab testing results. The format changes constantly but you should always be able to find a line that reads "Total Yeast and Mold Count," under the Microbiology section.

If the Total Yeast and Mold Count is anything other than an exact number under 1,000 I would personally avoid that product. Sometimes you will see "<100" or "<1000" and that's also fine by me. Some people think up to 10,000 is acceptable as well, and that's a personal choice. For me, anything over 1,000 (and especially "<10^6") is a red flag, and I will not buy that product.