QUALITY · TRANSPARENT BY DESIGN
100% Lab-tested
SA's most-transparent CBD lab pipeline · Cape Town + Joburg labs · every batch published
Every product on Cannabuben is batch-tested by SANAS-accredited independent labs. This page explains exactly what we test for, how we run the pipeline, and how to get the lab report for any SKU on your shelf.
01 /WHAT WE TEST
The four test tiers
CANNABINOID PROFILE
Every batch is tested for THC, CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC content using HPLC. The Certificate of Analysis lists exact mg-per-ml (oils) or mg-per-gram (flower), so you always know what you are actually taking.
MICROBIAL SAFETY
Total aerobic plate count, yeast, mould, and E. coli screening on every batch of consumable products. Failed batches do not reach the catalogue.
HEAVY METALS
Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic screened per batch. Important for any plant-derived product since cannabis is a bioaccumulator — it absorbs what the soil contains.
PESTICIDE RESIDUE
Multi-residue pesticide panel on a per-batch basis for cultivated cannabis and CBD. Products that fail the SA and international residue limits are destroyed.
02 /OUR PIPELINE
From batch to public report, in 5 steps
No mystery. Here's exactly what happens between a batch arriving and the COA showing up on the product page.
- 01
Batch produced
New stock arrives at our Cape Town warehouse
- 02
Sample drawn
Sealed sample sent to SANAS ISO-17025 lab
- 03
Lab tests
3–5 business days · 4 tiers screened
- 04
COA generated
PDF report with batch + test results
- 05
Public access
Free email on request · published per SKU
03 /WHY EVERY BATCH
The gap between "tested" and "tested every batch"
A lot of South African CBD brands advertise "lab-tested" but quietly mean they tested one batch, once, years ago. Cannabinoid content drifts between batches. Pesticide exposure varies with harvest. Microbial safety depends on storage conditions that change with every season. Single-batch testing is a marketing move, not a quality guarantee.
We test every batch that arrives. When a batch fails — and occasionally they do — it doesn't reach the catalogue. When a batch passes, the COA goes on the product page alongside the batch number on your bottle. If the numbers don't match, something went wrong and we want to know about it.
04 /HOW WE COMPARE
Cannabuben vs typical SA CBD shops
| What you get | Cannabuben | Typical SA shop |
|---|---|---|
| Lab-tested every batch | sometimes | |
| Public COA per SKU | ||
| SANAS ISO-17025 lab | varies | |
| THC < 0.001% verified | claimed | |
| Heavy-metals + pesticides screened | sometimes | |
| Failed batches destroyed (not re-sold) |
05 /COA ANATOMY
What you'll see on every report
Each Cannabuben COA follows the same structure. If you've read one, you've read them all.
▸ ANATOMY OF A COA
Same 6 sections on every Cannabuben report — header to solvents.
- 1
Header · product + batch
The product SKU, the batch / lot number, the testing lab, and the date the sample was drawn. The batch number should match what is stamped on your bottle label.
- 2
Cannabinoid potency table
CBD, THC (Δ9 and sometimes Δ8), CBG, CBN, CBC listed as percentage or mg/g. For oils the mg/ml is derived. Legal compliance requires THC below the Schedule-0 trace; anything higher would route the product to the Rx pathway.
- 3
Pesticide residue screen
Multi-residue panel (30+ compounds). Each one lists PASS or the measured value against the action limit. A handful of micrograms is not uncommon; meaningful residues mean batch rejection.
- 4
Heavy metals
Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic. Cannabis is a bioaccumulator — the plant concentrates what's in the soil. Every batch gets screened independently of source reputation.
- 5
Microbial + mycotoxin
Total yeast and mould count, total aerobic, E. coli, Salmonella, aflatoxin. Flower products fail this more often than tinctures. Tinctures that fail suggest a hygiene issue upstream — we investigate before re-sourcing.
- 6
Residual solvents (extracts only)
Ethanol, hexane, butane. CO₂ and ethanol extractions should show zero to trace; hydrocarbon extractions require tighter limits. The COA lists each solvent explicitly.
Looking for a specific batch number from a bottle you already have? Email it to labs@cannabuben.co.za — typical response time one business day.
06 /REQUEST A COA
Free Certificate of Analysis — any SKU, any batch
Email the SKU and (if you have it) the batch number on your product label to labs@cannabuben.co.za — we reply with the PDF within one business day. No charge, no purchase required.
📧 Email QA — pre-filled07 /PARTNERS & FRAMEWORKS
Who we work with
- SANAS · ISO 17025
SANAS-accredited labs
Testing partners hold South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) ISO 17025 status for cannabis testing.
Department of Agriculture permits
Cultivation permits maintained for all SA-grown inputs. SA flag = SA-grown + SA-permitted supply chain.
- SAHPRA · S21
SAHPRA Section 21
All scheduled products dispensed under Section 21 authorisation via licensed pharmacies.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Our QA team replies within one business day.