2024.09.19
Announcement of the establishment of a comprehensive inspection system for CBD raw materials, including controlled substances such as HHCH
Background: Issues Surrounding Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Cannabinoids
At the extraordinary session of the Diet in the fall of 2023, both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors passed a bill to amend the Cannabis Control Act with a majority of votes for the first time in 75 years, and it is expected to be enacted in the next fiscal year.
In the future, it is expected that hemp-derived CBD and other ingredients will be used for a wide range of industrial purposes, including the medical field, but at the same time, many health hazards have occurred due to synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as HHCH gummies. Such problems caused by inappropriate management and distribution of drugs are not limited to this HHCH, but have become a frequent problem since the HHC in March 2022, and can hinder healthy market expansion.
Since the occurrence of social issues with HHCH gummies, we have received many concerns and inquiries from our business partners (medical institutions, major retailers, OEM contractors, ingredient distributors, and private brand customers), and we have established a system to comprehensively test a series of regulated substances for the distribution of CBD raw materials and products that provide peace of mind.
Third-party certificate of analysis, including controlled substances
When importing CBD ingredients, the Narcotics Control Division of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare requires that THC be proven by third-party analysis that THC is not contained in CBD raw materials.
Most of the newly regulated substances, such as HHCH, do not exist in nature, so they are not included in CBD raw materials unless they are intentionally synthesized organically. However, in the early days of the market, where the differences between each ingredient such as CBD and HHCH were not properly understood, vague anxieties and explanation costs arose, resulting in a situation where we received a large number of inquiries.
In order to ensure that people who need CBD for medical purposes and health promotion can use our products with peace of mind, we have established an inspection and management system that can prove through third-party analysis that the CBD raw materials we handle in the future do not contain any controlled substances.
