Page 11 - CANNABIS NEWS FLORIDA APRIL 2020

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Packaging –

The Real China

Issue for Hemp

claims are made here and these thoughts are not vetted by the FDA.
Packaging is currently my biggest concern for our industry. First, until recently I
was not aware that Food Grade Containers were different than any other container.
That is, until I found out that amber and cobalt blue bottles sourced from China were
leaching lead. Lead based paint, banned in the United States in 1972, is being used
With patent infringement, product knock offs and in China. Perfectly clean CBD products, placed in tainted bottles, heated up while on
government subsidized manufacturing, there is no delivery trucks and sitting on shelfs for weeks or months allows for an elevated lead
shortage of reasons to see China as a major issue to level that evades testing.
American commerce. However, the real issue may come Not necessarily a packaging issue but the additional ingredients in cannabinoid
down to packaging. Glass and plastic containers are products also must be tested and food grade. Many orange flavorings that are not
almost exclusively made in China. Even American made food grade contain high levels of pesticides.
products are often put into Chinese made containers. Vigilance in our industry is greater than just making sure a manufacturer creates a
We take for granted the global supply chains until situ- good, clean product and labels it properly. It also makes sure that all ingredients meet
ations like a Cold War or pandemic occur. food grade quality standards and that containers are food grade quality.
The hemp industry is not immune to this fate. With Is this the panic before the calm, or the panic before the storm? Time will tell. The
huge trade show cancellations, there is certainly some best thing you can do is know who manufactures your food products and do your
panic happening. The thought that cannabinoids work due diligence on them.
to keep your body in a homeostasis state and a body in
balance is less prone to having an immune system com- The Florida Hemp Council (www.TheFLHC.org) can help
BY JEFF GREENE promised seems logical. Needless to say, no medical you with that if this sounds daunting.

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