The Wild, Wild West

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BY: ROB KOVLER

Global Pet Expo is upon us and, because of the soaring popularity of CBD/hemp, it is important to me that distributors and retailers read the following now instead of later. It has become clear that pet store owners, product buyers and groomers wanting to learn more about this CBD/hemp extract phenomenon are not asking the right questions of seminar moderators or product manufacturers.

We recently discovered that many companies that are selling just CBD/hemp products are not specialists in supplement manufacturing. We also found that most of the hemp products are not made under regulatory FDA and cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) guidelines. This all suggests that manufacturers are desperately trying to capitalize on this CBD/hemp craze, estimated to reach $500 million this year alone. Finally, these manufacturers are not doing their due diligence and printing proper “supplement fact boxes” and dosing guidelines on their labels either.

So what should today’s buyer do under these circumstances? Hopefully the following questions will serve as helpful guidelines for what you should ask a hemp or supplement manufacturer before buying products for your store.

1. Do you make your hemp extract product in a cGMP facility? If they say no, leave. This is paramount and should be a non-starter right away. Any high-quality human or animal supplement is made in a cGMP lab. A CBD/hemp extract product should be no exception.
2. Is the hemp product made in an FDA-regulated laboratory? If they say yes, the company should have a certificate of analysis (CofA). You will see a proper “supplement facts box.” How can you tell? Go to your vitamin shelf and see what a proper “supplement fact box” looks like from a reputable vitamin company. They can vary slightly, but not by much.
3. Is there a third-party analysis on the product? If the manufacturer cannot show one from an independent lab, how do you know what is in the product? Look for these categories when reading a CofA: Pesticides, Metals and Solvent content. This should read “ND,” for “non-detectable” or compliant with U.S. Pharmacopeia standards.
4. Where do you get your hemp from; which state? Is it from overseas? For now, buy USA-only.
5. Is your product a zero percent (0%) THC formula? This should be very clear on the front of the label as well as on the CofA. This will also be an indication that the product is safe to sell almost anywhere in the world and across state lines.
6. How long has your company been in business and are you BBB (Better Business Bureau) accredited?
7. What educational materials can you give me to help my pet parents understand hemp or CBD? Do you have educational literature/brochures to teach me as a pet store owner?
8. If the product says CBD on it and makes any label claims, I advise not buying it, as this is against FDA regulations.
9. Look for the statement “Dietary Supplement” towards the front bottom of the label, because that’s exactly what hemp extract is, a dietary supplement.
10. Dosing guidelines are paramount on the back of the label. Tip: If it takes you over three seconds to figure out the dosing and even harder for you to look for it, stay away.

If just one of the answers above is “no,” I recommend you be cautious and/or buy at your own risk.

Animal Nutritional Products is one of very few supplement companies with a Colorado State-registered Free Sale Certificate for hemp. That means the state of Colorado visited our laboratory and was shown detailed information on the safe extraction of industrial hemp extract/CBD, and have submitted and are performing the proper paperwork to satisfy the state under FDA and cGMP regulatory requirements.

Despite manufacturing a hemp extract product, PhytoMAX, Animal Nutritional Products is not a hemp extract company. We specialize in bringing pharmacognosy, the art of medicinal plants, into the 21st century.