What is CBD?

After THC, CBD is the second most widely known cannabinoid derived from industrial hemp. CBD is non-addictive and has no psychoactive effects and is useful for people who want to reap all the health benefits of cannabis, without it interfering without the interfering with cognitive abilities.

CBD Distillate vs Isolate

We can already find many consumer products containing CBD, including edibles, drops, topicals and soft gels. The purest forms of CBD are isolate and distillates and are the main ingredients used to produce CBD products. CBD Isolate is the usually 99.9 % pure with all other cannabinoids removed to create a white power or crystal-like material while CBD distillate or oil contains much of the other minor cannabinoid including trace amounts of THC or no THC at all.

CBD Isolate

CBD isolate is much more concentrated than distillate, containing 99% CBD. Isolate works better for people with allergies or other reactions to the terpenes, waves or other compounds in cannabis, CBD offers the cleanest form of the compound.

CBD isolate comes in refined, white powder form that, like distillate can be used as an ingredient in foods and beverages or as the active ingredient in topicals and tinctures alike.

CBD Uses & Benefits

CBD should not substitute nor be seen as a substitute for proper medical treatment in any way but recent studies have shown promise that CBD may alleviate the symptoms of many common conditions. However, more research will need to be done on CBD to prove that it can be a replacement to an actual medical treatment and to what degree it can improve one health. The best thing about CBD distillate and CBD isolate for many users is their high concentration and potency. For many people, especially medical cannabis users, many of the common methods of consuming CBD, such as swallowing capsules, eating edibles, applying topicals or vaporizing oils makes CBD a very good alternative.

Compliance & Commitment

Compliance and quality is at the heart of everything we do. We make a conscious effort at Extractions Solutions to go well beyond regulatory imposed requirements—not because we must but because we are committed to have the highest safety, compliance, and quality standard in the industry.

This commitment is essential in making our customers know that they are buying the highest quality and purest ingredients for the creation of their own products. Our commitment to self-regulation and adherence to some of the strictest manufacturing certifications has earned us the trust of leading CBD based consumer products manufactures around the world.

From Soil to Oil Traceability

Extractions Solutions is working and collaborating with leading hemp genetics companies in both Europe and the USA to create better and customized hemp genetics that meet and exceed regulatory compliance while ensuring the highest quality industrial hemp for extraction. Our goal is to seek to expand the resulting range and quality of cannabinoid and terpene profiles through genetics research and testing which allows us to have access to the best raw material in Europe so that we can create the highest quality custom blended products for our customers.

We are working with the a select team of the best and most experienced hemp farmers in Europe while bringing in agronomy specialists from all over the globe. This helps us ensure that the farmers who are growing the industrial hemp that goes into your final products have used the best organic and sustainable farming practices to create the best product possible with no harmful impact to the existing ecosystem.

We can trace every single part of the production process right back to the plant in the greenhouse where the seed that was planted in the ground came from. This “Soil to Oil” mentality, makes Extractions Solutions the first European based extraction company that is fully vertically integrated guaranteeing you our customer supply chain security, the highest and most consistent product quality available and full transparency and traceability throughout our entire process.

GMP Matters — EU GMP Matters More

The CBD market of today is still largely unregulated and as an end-user, the best way to be sure of the safety of any CBD product is the manufacturer’s GMP certification. Whether using a CBD oil, cream, edible, or other product that is GMP compliant means you can be assured that the CBD has been grown, processed, extracted, packed, and distributed in sterile conditions and has undergone all relevant GMP compliance and requirements so that your CBD is free from contaminants, and is safe and ready to use.

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) Certification

Good Manufacturing Practices ensure production consistency, testing, stability, and rigorous control according to quality standards required by local regulatory bodies for marketing authorization. It is a way for producers to guarantee that consumers are not put at risk due to a lack of efficacy, quality, or safety.

The notion that GMP only involves manufacturing practices is a common misconception today because it covers all aspects of the production process, including materials, premises, staff training, record keeping, equipment, storage, hygiene, product development and how complaints are handled. 

Many countries have mandated legislatively that food, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers follow GMP procedures and create their own GMP guidelines, even though In the United States the FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) overlooked GMP certification to produce CBD though that might change soon.

Benefits of GMP certification:

• Complying with the relevant regulations
• Reliability
• Risk management in production, safety and quality.
• Robust operating procedures
• Develop high standard practices to produce and operate efficiently.
• Obtain proven management capabilities in product quality and safety assurance.
• Increases consumers’ impressions and loyalty through safety
• International Credibility.

Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP)

CGMP or Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations are commonly those enforced by the FDA in The United States. This formal system of controls helps to prevent instances of contamination, mix-ups, deviations, failures, errors, and that drug products meet their quality standards.

The FDA inspects pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities worldwide; inspections follow a standard approach and rely upon reports of likely defective products to identify sites for which an investigation or research is needed.

When a company’s product is not in compliance with CGMP regulations, it is considered “adulterated” under the law. However, it does not mean that there is necessarily something wrong with them. Even when it might violate the CGMP, it could still meet its labelled conditions. The risk that the product is unsafe or ineffective could be minimal.

Perhaps you are wondering, so what is the difference between GMP and CGMP? They are interchangeable terms, in other countries, the word “current” is not used since companies are supposed to keep up with the different changes in requirements and should continually strive to comply with them.

Unlike Europe who has specific guidelines for medical cannabis, the US lacks a uniform regulation at the federal level, which means that depending on each state, there are several local requirements. Bottom line here is If you’re going to want to sell medicine in the European Union, your facility needs EU-GMP certification.

EU-GMP Certification

EU-GMP Certification distinguishes medical products from other consumer regulations like Novel Food Regulations. This certification also gives enhanced traceability throughout the product supply chain. Only CBD from EU-GMP certified facilities, or the equivalent, can be sold in the European Union.

Foreign companies can apply for EU-GMP, however, implementing it requires in-depth knowledge of the multifaceted requirements and being able to demonstrate compliance during an inspection.

Novel Foods

European Union Law describes ‘novel foods’ as newly developed food products, produced using new technologies and production processes, as well as food which has not been consumed to a significant degree by humans in the EU before May 15th 1997.

A Novel Food can only be placed on the European Market by a Manufacturer when:

• The European Commission (EC) processes the application for the authorisation of the novel food.
• The EC has adopted an implementing act authorising its placing on the market and updated the EU list of novel foods.
• After the food has been proven safe for human consumption, it does not nutritionally disadvantage the consumer and the marketing and packaging is deemed not deceptive.

In January 2019, The EU novel foods catalogue was updated to include hemp-derived cannabinoids, which included CBD. Manufacturers now need to have their CBD supplements, and edible products evaluated and seek permission from authorities to place them on the market.

Authorized Novel Food Products will be a great competitive advantage due to the fact that information will be shared publicly and help to make sure that products on the shelf are approved and legal while keeping producers and shop owners safe from criminal prosecution.