Cannabis Supplement Brand Sprouts; Best Practices Seeds Planted
By Malcolm Spicer / Email the Author
Dietary Supplements / Word Count: 900 / Article # 05150406006 / Posted: April 1 2015 12:00 AM
Executive Summary
Inergetics says its Nulief supplement provides “holistic benefits associated with cannabidiol.” AHPA’s Cannabis Committee worked with Americans for Safe Access and the Hemp Industries Association on recommendations for regulating edible, topical and inhalant cannabis- and hemp-derived products.
A product touted as the first “branded cannabinoid” nutritional supplement launches as industry and advocacy groups suggest best practices for regulating the manufacturing of cannabis- and hemp-derived supplements.
Nutritional and consumer health products firm Inergetics Inc. says its Nulief supplement in capsule form provides “holistic benefits associated with cannabidiol” and is the first nutraceutical in a line from the Newark, N.J., firm’s new Whole Products “to offer consumers the convenient benefits of non-psychoactive cannabidiol.”
Inergetics on May 26 said CBD is a key element to help with proper functioning of the human endocannabinoid system, which assists the body to maintain stable internal conditions necessary to help protect it.
The endocannabinoid system, which mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis, is a group of neuro-modulatory lipids and their receptors in the brain involved physiological processes including appetite, pain sensation, mood and memory.
“The CBD in Nulief can help people who are experiencing discomfort caused by a range of conditions without the 'high' associated with THC found in traditional medicinal marijuana products. Nulief is a nutraceutical that takes Inergetics one step closer to realizing our vision of bringing a suite of farm-to- formula products to market,” said CEO Mike James.
The firm, which opened a product website with the launch and plans to post updates about Nulief on Twitter and Facebook, also markets Martha Stewart Essentials whole food-based supplements for women; Surgex Sports Nutrition; Bikini Ready supplements for weight loss and energy; SlimTrim diet products; and OmEssentials supplements for “the health and wellness of yoga practitioners and active individuals.” Nulief and Inergetics’ other products are available domestically and internationally at retailers and online.
Inergetics worked with environment agricultural technologies firm Terra Tech Corp.’s GrowOp Technology subsidiary to develop Nulief under guidance of a scientific and medical advisory board the two companies formed in 2014.
AHPA Starts Best Practice Process
The American Herbal Products Association’s Cannabis Committee worked with Americans for Safe Access and the Hemp Industries Association on recommendations for the regulation of consumable, topical, and inhalant cannabis- and hemp-derived products and promoted the practices at the National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference, March 27-31 in Washington.
“In the best interest of consumers, it’s vitally important for leading industry associations and manufacturers to work together to establish clear guidelines for all hemp and cannabis products,” the groups said in a March 27 statement.
In addition to manufacturers and other businesses in the space, the groups ask regulators to adopt the recommendations and the product quality guidelines in the American Herbal Pharmacopeia Cannabis Monograph.
Additionally, participation in ASA’s Patient Focused Certification program will “independently demonstrate to consumers that these guidelines have been integrated into their production processes.”
The recommendations are based on best practice rules AHPA’s Cannabis Committee developed to address four stages of cannabis production and distribution – cultivation and processing; manufacturing and related operations; laboratory practice; and dispensing – and are applicable to any operation producing and/or distributing lawful cannabis or industrial hemp products not already governed by federal regulations. States including Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Illinois have considered AHPA's recommendations for their medical marijuana program regulations ("Industry News Roundup" — "The Tan Sheet," Sep. 9, 2014).
To summarize the recommendations, the group says cannabis growers, product manufacturers and dispensaries should implement:
safe production processes for products developed for human consumption
disclosure of any testing for pesticides, contaminants, and adulterants
labeling that includes disclosure of cannabis content and nutrient information
disclosures that inform consumers about product potency and/or dosage information.
The best practices also include the AHPA committee’s recommendation that lawfully-marketed products containing cannabis ingredients and intended for oral ingestion, topical application or inhalation be labeled to identify the part of the cannabis plant from which the ingredient is derived, such as seed oil, flower extract, or extract of aerial parts.
The Nulief Supplement Facts box, for instance, says the product contains 130 mg of hemp oil from “aerial parts.”
The recommended labeling policy does not apply to parts of the cannabis plant in unprocessed and recognizable forms.
AHPA says it chartered a Cannabis Committee in 2010 to address issues created by changes in state cannabis laws: 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes; 19 have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use; four have legalized recreational marijuana; the District of Columbia legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational use; and local jurisdictions in multiple states have enacted their own changes.
While marijuana production, possession and use remain illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act, states that legalize marijuana can avoid federal enforcement by following guidelines stated in an August 2013 memo by U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole.
Keeping marijuana away from children tops the list of eight federal priorities the memo(PDF) identifies for prosecuting marijuana cases under the CSA. It also lists preventing:
revenue from marijuana sales from reaching criminal enterprises
diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal to other states
state-allowed marijuana activity from being used as a cover or pretext for trafficking other drugs or other illegal activity
violence and the use of firearms in cultivation and distribution
drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences
growing on public lands
possession or use on federal property.
AI
