BSCG Introduces Groundbreaking Third-Party Certification for Hemp Products

LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BSCG (Banned Substances Control Group), a leading third-party certification and testing provider of dietary supplements and natural products, introduces the first broad-spectrum international third-party hemp certification program to include protection against drugs banned in sport, BSCG Certified Hemp™. The benefits of this program are now available to athletes and consumers with the announcement of the first certified product, fourfiveCBD 0% THC.

"We're delighted to find ourselves in the position of helping reputable companies and concerned consumers navigate this growing and dynamic space," said Oliver Catlin, co-founder and President of BSCG. "With the popularity of hemp products, commonly referred to as cannabidiol (CBD) products, expanding rapidly, we felt as a third-party certification provider we could use our experience to bolster quality control and transparency in this burgeoning industry."

BSCG's new hemp Certified Hemp program builds on the third-party provider's sterling 15-year history of testing and certification of dietary supplements and related products, its principals' renown in sports doping control testing, and its ongoing thought leadership and innovation in the field of product testing and certification.

Catlin said, "Our new program aims to address a range of consumer concerns relating to hemp and CBD products including whether athletes or other consumers could test positive in a drug test for using a hemp product, whether the products test below a 0.3% THC limit and meet claims for CBD content, and whether banned substances in sport or other drugs or synthetic cannabinoids may be present. We also examine whether these products have been manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and are free of contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and solvents."

Another benefit of BSCG Certified Hemp™ is that it establishes a pathway for differentiating hemp extract from CBD, which has been officially approved as a drug in the form of Epidiolex in the U.S. and is being considered for approval in a number of other countries. Because it has been approved as a pharmaceutical drug, CBD isolate, as it's called, can't be used as a supplement ingredient or finished product.

BSCG's unique approach differentiates hemp extract supplements from cannabis-derived drugs by establishing specifications for hemp extract ingredients to be <90% CBD, <0.3% THC, and >0.1% other cannabinoids. This approach offers a solid pathway for international authorities like the FDA to consider when regulating hemp extract ingredients and products.

fourfiveCBD 0% THC becomes the first product to meet requirements of the BSCG Certified Hemp™ program. "We're pleased that fourfiveCDB 0% THC, a professional athlete-driven product developed for other professional athletes, happens to be our first official BSCG Certified Hemp™ product," Catlin said. "Smart athletes who want to protect their health, their names, and their sports are always better off choosing supplements and other products that have been rigorously tested by a top third-party certification provider like BSCG."

"fourfiveCBD is delighted to be the world's first CBD product to be approved by BSCG. As a BSCG Certified Hemp™ product, fourfiveCBD's 0% of THC ensures that professional athletes can now take CBD with total peace of mind that our product is free from cross contamination of banned substances, synthetic chemicals and problematic ingredients," said Dominic Day, co-founder and director, fourfiveCBD.

BSCG's other testing and certification programs include BSCG Certified Drug Free®, BSCG Certified Quality™, and BSCG Certified GMP™. BSCG also offers an Athlete Assurance Program, which provides customized supplement testing for athletes, teams, and leagues, and is the only provider to offer expanded testing for animal supplements.

BSCG applies the Olympic standard of drug testing to quality control of dietary supplements and natural products. Founded in 2004 by renowned sports anti-doping scientist Don H. Catlin, M.D., executive Oliver Catlin, and attorney Ryan Connolly, BSCG helps shield consumers from banned substance contamination or other quality concerns that may tarnish supplements and related products and allows reputable companies to demonstrate the quality of their products.

For more about BSCG and hemp product certification, visit its Certified Hemp page, call 1-800-920-6605, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.bscg.org. Join BSCG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SOURCE Banned Substances Control Group

Related Links

http://www.bscg.org