Among countries and states that legally regulate medicinal and adult use cannabis, Uruguay was the first country to legalize for adult use in 2013. Subsequently, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Paraguay have established laws for medical cannabis and CBD products. This has significant global trade implications because of environmental advantages over countries with a colder climate, which can require more expensive resources. It is ideal to grow cannabis in South America and ship it internationally to countries in Europe and North America with medical cannabis programs to supplement their supply. Additionally, within central and south America, trading needs to occur between countries with established production facilities, such as Colombia, as this new industry is developing. In order to set up international shipments, the supply chain must be highly regulated and audited for quality control and adherence to good manufacturing and agricultural practices. Orion GMP International, a pharmaceutical consulting firm, establishes these requirements on all steps of the supply chain, including cultivation, harvest, drying, curing, bulk packaging, finished packaging, analytical testing, storage, stability studies, distribution, and quarantine. Having the necessary technical documentation in place, we facilitate interactions between the sellers and buyers, and bring verified environmentally sustainable, ethically grown, lab-tested, quality cannabis to the international medical marketplace. With assistance from Northern Michigan University’s Medicinal Plant Chemistry students, we are developing a comprehensive set of documents encompassing the chemical characteristics and specifications of cannabis substance. With my background in organic chemistry and pesticide testing, I will discuss analytical testing procedures for active components and contaminants, and compare the South American testing lab requirements to those in Michigan and the United States.

Technical requirements for international commodity grade cannabis flower and cannabinoids

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.