Adherence to Standards

The Facts

The Cannabis family that includes Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L) contains over 120 known cannabinoids. Chemical compounds which exhibit a range of physiological effects in humans. Whilst many claims are made about the benefits, little evidence exists to support them. As such, most cannabinoids remain under investigation to establish the necessary evidence.

Cannabidiol (CBD) can be derived from most parts of the hemp plant. They are selectively extracted, concentrating CBD and removing or reducing psychoactive components such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCa), Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) and Cannabinol (CBN), defined as controlled drugs under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and should not be present in any consumer product.

However, Hemp is generally regarded as containing low levels of these psychoactive compounds when compared to drug varieties of Cannabis or Marijuana.

Cannabidiol (CBD) and other minor cannabinoids such as Cannabigerol (CBG), are non-psychoactive and are therefore not controlled drugs. A food supplement product containing CBD must not exceed 1mg combined of any controlled drug when tested by an independent & accredited laboratory and in order to prove this it is necessary to deploy highly sensitive analytical methods such as those embedded into our own approach to quality.

In the UK it is Illegal to possess, grow, harvest, supply, produce, import or export any type of Cannabis plant (including Hemp) without an appropriate Home Office licence. Every country has its own Narcotic regulations and we take care to ensure compliance in each market that we operate in.

 

CBD Products

All of our CBD products are only derived from Hemp leaf and are subject to a number of rigorous quality & safety checks from testing of ingredients using cutting edge analytical technologies to scrutiny of finished product labelling by our compliance team of experts, all of which are subject to enforcement by the UK Trading Standards Agency.

Most importantly no medical claims should be implied or suggested regarding any CBD product, unless authorised by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Cosmetics 

CBD as an ingredient in cosmetic products is regulated under the EU cosmetics Regulation (1223/200). Cosmetic products must not contain any controlled drug, cannabis resin or broad-spectrum CBD distillate. This highlights the importance of provenance.

Since the regulation of cosmetics products came into force in July 2013, a Responsible Person (RP) must be designated for each cosmetic product placed on the EU market. The Responsible Person upholds a manufacturer’s compliance on behalf of the European authorities and therefore makes sure the product is safe for its intended use.

Food Supplements

Ingestible cannabinoids such as CBD oils are classified as Novel Foods throughout the UK & EU. This means that any business intending to selling CBD based food products must submit a Novel Food application to the Food Standards Agency (FSA and/or EFSA). If by the 31st March 2021 a business does not hold, as minimum, a validated application then those products will not be allowed to remain on the market.

The UK General Food Law is designed to protect consumers by ensuring products meet both UK & EU Food Standards Agencies & Home Office guidelines for ‘Quality’ & ‘Safety’.

Furthermore, the UK Home Office has issued guidance that a CBD based food product will be classified as a drug if it contains >1mg of THC, THCaTHCv or CBN combined. Consumers should verify this with their preferred brand to ensure the product is legal.

Consumer Implications 

Physical Risks

CBD products that contain unknown or undisclosed levels of controlled cannabinoids known to have psychoactive effects i.e.THC, THCa, THCv or CBN have potentially dangerous implications for the consumer in a range of settings such as driving and operating machinery.

Contamination & Safety Risks

CBD derived from an uncontrolled source, depending on its origin & safety screening processes, can contain high levels of harmful toxins and contaminants e.g. benzopyrenes, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins etc. These are absorbed from the local farming environment and could lead to serious health issues.

Independent analysis of our products has demonstrated the absence of these and all EU recognised harmful impurities.

Professional Sports People

Using CBD as part of a professional recovery regime must be avoided even with low (<1mg/pack) but legal levels of controlled drugs THC, THCa, THCv or CBN. Otherwise they could be at risk of failing mandatory drug screenings despite CBD on its own being exempt from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.

Professional sportspeople should seek further guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) before using any CBD based supplement.

Summary 

A high number of CBD retailers are having to re-think their compliance strategies, by incorporating legal supply chain components that satisfy both Home Office & FSA/EFSA guidance.

The Endopure team respect and are proud to work within regulatory frameworks throughout our supply chain and will only offer products which are ‘exempt’ from the Misuse of Drugs Act and are in full compliance with both UK Home Office & UK/EU Regulators.

For us, science is integral to consumer safety & consistent high product quality. Our Cosmetic & Food ranges undergo extensive analysis by one of the World’s leading & respected testing facilities who operate one of the UK’s only government accredited laboratories, FERA Science.