SGS GACP Medical Cannabis Certification

Ensure that medical cannabis has been produced in accordance with guidelines for Good Agricultural and Collecting Practices.

The use of cannabis for medical purposes is becoming more prevalent. This increasing use has resulted in growing concern among consumers about the quality and safety of medical cannabis.

According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), a leading cause of adverse events related to the use of herbal medicines, including cannabis, is poor quality control. SGS Good Agricultural and Collecting Practices (GACP) for Medical Cannabis certification helps to ensure the quality of medical cannabis by verifying the use of GACP from primary production, through processing and transportation.

What is GACP?

Good agricultural and collecting practices ensure compliance with all production and distribution processes. This assures that the health of workers and consumers of these products is protected.

Basis of Certification

SGS GACP cannabis certification is based on:

WHO guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for Medicinal Plants. World Health Organization. Geneva. 2003
Guideline on Good agricultural and collection practices for starting materials of herbal origin. European Medicines Agency (EMEA). February 2006. Doc. Ref. EMEA/HMPC/246816/2005
Guidelines for cultivating cannabis for medicinal purposes. Dutch Office of Medicinal Cannabis. December 2002. Authorized English translation
Good Production Practices Guide for Cannabis. Requirements, under Part 5 of the Cannabis Regulations. Government of Canada. August 29, 2019
Cannabis Regulations SOR/2018-144 Government of Canada. May 19, 2021
Sampling Guidelines for Hemp U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. Issued January 15, 2021
International Standard ISO 22000:2018. Second edition 2018-06. Published by the ISO Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, as an official Spanish translation endorsed by the Translation Management Group
Q7 Good Manufacturing Practice Guidance for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Guidance for Industry. September 2016
ICH guideline Q10 on pharmaceutical quality system, Committee for Human Medicinal Products. April 2009
EudraLex-Volume 4-Good Manufacturing Practices. Part I, Cap. 4-Documentation. June 2011
WHO Report 37 Annex 4: Good Manufacturing Practices for the pharmaceutical industry

Scope

SGS GACP cannabis certification covers agricultural practice from harvesting to post harvest, for both open and indoor crops. This includes:

Soil, water, substrate and fertilizer management
Occupational health and safety management
Integrated pest management
Management and application of plant protection products
Machinery and equipment
Handling of harvest, post-harvest and transportation products
Waste and contaminant management
Environmental management
Quality management

SGS GACP Medical Cannabis Mark

The SGS Good Agricultural and Collecting Practices Medical Cannabis Mark demonstrates that a medical cannabis product has met the requirements for SGS GACP certification. Customers can be assured that products carrying the mark were produced using safe and sustainable methods, with reduced risk of harm to consumers, workers or the environment.

Find out more on our certified customers.

Learn more about GACP medical cannabis certification. Contact an SGS expert.

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