Tag Archives: documents

Aphria, Inc. Implements Quality Management Systems

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff
1 Comment

According to a press release published today, Aphria Inc. has implemented Rootstock Software’s cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions and ComplianceQuest’s Enterprise Quality Management System (EQMS). Aphria, one of the largest cannabis companies in the world, trades on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

Rootstock’s cloud ERP software includes things like order processing, production management, supply chain management, lot and serial number trackability and traceability, compliance reporting, costing and financial management. ComplianceQuest’s EQMS software provides support for GMP compliance and can help improve efficiencies in operations. The EQMS focuses on quality and risk management across Aphria’s business platforms, from sourcing to manufacturing to supply chain management.

Aphria is using the entire EQMS platform, which includes software to handle documents, training, changes, inspections, nonconformance, corrective actions (CAPA) and customer complaints which integrates to Rootstock’s ERP. According to the press release, the company is currently working to roll-out audit, equipment, incident and supplier management functions and will be fully live with the entire quality system in the next few months.

According to Tim Purdie, chief information officer & chief information security officer of Aphria Inc., both platforms delivered on their implementation. “Grounded in the scalability of the force.com platform, CQ transformed our quality management operating capabilities overnight and we are delighted at the fully integrated partnership result,” says Purdie. “We now have fully digital real-time informatics and ability to implement change in a highly transparent manner to meet the demands of our high growth business.”

Adding that Rootstock ERP will help facilitate their company’s production, inventory and supply chain management, Purdie says both platforms will enable Aphria to be increasingly responsive to market needs. “Aphria is setting the standard as a worldwide leader in the cannabis industry through a diversified approach to innovation, corporate citizenship, strategic partnerships and global expansion,” Purdie says. “With these system implementations, we’re now technologically equipped to take our competitive advantage to new levels of market leadership.”

World Health Organization November Meeting To Review Cannabis

By Marguerite Arnold
No Comments

In a sign that cannabis reform is now on the march at the highest level of international discussion, the World Health Organization (WHO) will be meeting in November to formally review its policies on cannabis. This will be the second time in a year that the organization has met to review its policies on the plant, with a direct knock-on effect at the UN level.

According to documents obtained by Cannabis Industry Journal, including a personal cover letter over the committee’s findings submitted to the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, the November review will “undertake a critical review of the…cannabis plant and resin; extracts and tinctures of cannabis.”

What Exactly Will The WHO Review?

The November meeting will follow up on the work done this summer in June – namely to review CBD. According to these recommendations, the fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) in Geneva will include the following:

  1. Pure CBD should not be scheduled within International Drug Control Conventions.
  2. Cannabis plant and resin, extracts and tinctures of cannabis, Delta-9-THC and isomers of THC will all be reviewed in November.
  3. Finally, and most cheeringly, the committee concluded that “there is sufficient information to progress Delta-9-THC to a critical review…to address the appropriateness of its placement within the Conventions.” In other words, rescheduling.

Industry and Patient Impact

Translation beyond the diplomatic niceties?

The drug war may, finally, and at a level not seen for more than a century, come to a close internationally, on cannabis.

Here is why: The WHO is effectively examining both the addictive impact and “harm” of the entire plant, by cannabinoid, while admitting, already that current scheduling is inappropriate. And further should not apply to CBD.

This also means that come November, the committee, which has vast sway on the actions of the UN when it comes to drug policy, is already in the CBD camp. And will finally, it is suspected, place other cannabinoids within a global rescheduling scheme. AKA removing any justification for sovereign laws, as in the U.S., claiming that any part of cannabis is a “Schedule I” drug.

What this means, in other words, in effect, is that as of November, the UN will have evidence that its current drug scheduling of cannabis, at the international level, is not only outdated, but needs a 21stcentury reboot.

International Implications

From a calendar perspective, in what will be Canada’s first recreational month, Britain’s first medical one and presumably the one in that the German government will finally accept its second round of cultivation bids, the world’s top regulatory body will agree with them.

This also means that as of November, globally, the current American federal justifications and laws for keeping cannabis a Schedule I drug, and based on the same, will have no international legal or scientific legitimacy or grounding.

Not that this has stopped destructive U.S. policies before. See global climate change. However, and this is the good news, it is far easier to lobby on cannabis reform locally than CO2 emissions far from home. See the other potentially earth-shaking event in November – namely the U.S. midterm elections.

The global industry, in other words, is about to get a shot in the arm, and in a way that has never happened before in the history of the plant.

And that is only good news for not only the industry, but consumers and patients alike.

How to Vet Suppliers in Cannabis Product Manufacturing

By Amy Davison
1 Comment

The quality of your edible cannabis product can only be as reliable as the components that comprise it. The three types of components include active ingredients (such as CBD oil), packaging components  (such as the bottles that hold finished product) and inactive ingredients (such as coconut oil). When evaluating a potential supplier for these three areas, a risk-based method follows a vendor selection process that highlights critical ingredients and also adequately assesses excipients. With this approach, the vetting process for a supplier is based on the impact the potential ingredient or component will have on the quality and purity of the finished product.

Choose only those suppliers who can provide certification that the packaging components are food-grade or food-safeThere are three basic categories to guide vendor assessment. Is the supplier providing 1) a packaging component with product contact, 2) an excipient, or inactive ingredient, or 3) the active ingredient? Regardless of the category, due to the factious nature of cannabis, it is important to first verify with a vendor that it will sell its products to a company in the cannabis industry. Once that is determined, the evaluation process may begin.

Packaging Components

Sourcing validation is a critical initial step in the production process. (image credit: Lucy Beaugard)

Packaging components, such as bottles and caps, are considered primary packaging because they have direct contact with the finished product. Suppliers of the primary packaging must be able to provide assurance that their goods do not contain additives that are harmful to consumers. Therefore, choose only those suppliers who can provide certification that the packaging components are food-grade or food-safe. Reputable vendors will also be able to provide a certificate of compliance, also known as a certificate of conformance, which states that the component meets specifications required for that part. Many cannabis regulations require finished products to be sold in child-resistant packaging, so the supplier will need to provide child-resistant certification for the packaging components, if applicable.

Excipients

Excipients are ingredients that are added to a product for the purposes of streamlining the manufacturing process and enhancing physical characteristics such as taste and color. Some examples could include coconut oil, starch and alcohol. Though they do not have the same critical nature as active ingredients, their potential risk to a finished product is generally greater than that of a packaging component. As such, there are additional factors to consider for an excipient vendor. Verify with the supplier that it can provide the following documentation. While governing regulations may not require some information, the data included in these documents are important to ensure the quality of your finished product.

  • Certificate of Analysis (or, certificate of conformance), for each lot of material. The information on a certificate, including the tests performed, specifications and test results must be sufficient to determine if the material is acceptable for use in the product.
  • Allergen Statement. This statement is important to accurately include or disclaim allergens on the finished product label.
  • Residual Solvent Statement. Solvents are commonly used to bolster the manufacturing process for a material. In order to maintain acceptable levels of residual solvents in a final product, it is necessary to also consider the toxicity and level of each solvent in the raw material.
  • Heavy Metals Certification. Since metals pose a risk to consumer safety, it is important to know what amounts, if any, are being contributed to your product by raw materials.

Because changes in an excipient can impact your finished product, make every attempt to obtain a commitment from a supplier to notify you if changes are made to the excipient’s specifications.

Active Ingredients

Cannabis oil is the ingredient that, when the edible cannabis product is consumed, is biologically “active.” Thus, it is considered to be the active ingredient in cannabis products. Since cannabis oil has a direct impact on the quality of a product, it is critical that the oil supplier be appropriately evaluated. One of the main considerations for a cannabis oil supplier is whether the supplier is willing to host initial and periodic audits of its manufacturing facility. Such audits are crucial in assessing the capability of the vendor to comply with regulatory requirements and established procedures – can the supplier consistently provide quality material? The answer to this question is too important to risk for you and your customers.As anyone working in the industry has experienced, anything related to cannabis is placed under an unprecedented critical lens.

Additionally, verify the oil supplier will provide key documentation, such as that listed above for excipients, to support the quality and purity of the oil. And last but not least, ensure the information reported by the supplier is adequate to meet the requirements of your finished product.

Evaluation guidelines and criteria such as these should be added to standard operating procedures to ensure consistency and quality across all products. As anyone working in the industry has experienced, anything related to cannabis is placed under an unprecedented critical lens. The importance of consumer safety and bolstering industry integrity is paramount. Sourcing validation is a critical initial step in the production process that can directly impact a company’s success and longevity in the cannabis industry.