The Key to Elevating Your Edibles' Standards

As the cannabis industry strives towards mainstream legitimacy, many edible companies seek certifications to elevate their standards and set new precedents. This practice is not unique to cannabis - certifications exist in every industry, as they provide manufacturers and retailers with confidence.

But as we see with Amazon's new climate-friendly badge compared to some Organics standardization, not all certifications achieve the same goal.

In this article, we'll look at why elevating industry standards requires overall stellar business practices in addition to having a certificate, and how you can boost your standards for your cannabis edibles.

Do’s and Don’t’s from Amazon’s New Climate-Friendly Certification

Amazon recently announced its new climate badge certification as part of its program to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. While the badge sets an admirable tone, it also raises questions about its effectiveness.

An Amazon product's climate-friendliness depends on the product's shipping design. Eligible products receive an efficacy score based on their dimension, weight, and number of units inside. The lower the unit efficiency score is, the more efficient the packing design must be. This is achieved by putting less air in a container or using less and lighter packaging. According to Amazon, a reduction in size or weight can considerably reduce carbon emissions.

Over 25 thousand brands have already qualified. To qualify, the product must already have a certification from one of Amazon's 18 partnerships with other certification organizations, like Fair Trade and the Rainforest Alliance.

Does the certification live up to the promise? Amazon stated its mission is to help customers find climate-friendly products. However, the badge is not visible until a customer has selected an individual product or searches for climate-friendly products - all of which seem counterintuitive. There is not even an announcement on their home page.

Nonetheless, Amazon is leveraging its influence to create a tone for other companies to follow. Do set a tone, but don't be unclear about it.

Standardization is About Transparency, Education, and Interaction

While having a certification sets a precedent and inspires trust, the key to increasing standardization is going above and beyond. Three companies from the Organics industry, Natural Forces, Moon Valley Organics, and Vive Organics, as identified by New Hope, exemplify how brands can push industry trends forward:

• Education — Moon Valley Organics offers education to aspiring organic farmers by telling them about their day-to-day operations

• Interaction — Vive Organics’ co-founders visit the farm regularly to ensure it is maintaining its high standards.

• Sustainability — Growing sustainably is critical for organic agriculture. Natural Forces use water from an aquifer that feeds into a natural lake. The brands also partner with local farmers and producers to keep costs low and quality high. Additionally, Vive Organics has partnerships in local economies that give them access to “ugly” produce rejected by grocers.

• Vertical integration — Natural Forces do their own extraction, encapsulations, productions, and research.

• Certifications — Respected organic certifications include non-GMO and certified USDA Organic

How the Cannabis Edible Industry Can Elevate their Standards

In the cannabis edible industry, the key factors to standardization are ingredient transparency with ingredients — including the cannabis source — and accurate dosing.

For marijuana products, dosing must adhere to state regulations, and with CBD, dosing can still be tricky considering the difficulty of bioavailability. Fortunately, the cannabis industry sets a prime example of how individual brands and companies lead the way towards standardization through certifications that the FDA will likely agree to, such as GMP practices.

Edibles represent an essential step in getting cannabis normalized. Many people are wary of classic smoking products, so having safe, accurate, and trustworthy edibles are necessary for the greater cannabis industry’s legitimacy.

If you have an edible brand, ask yourself who your top competition is and how you can meet or exceed their expectations.

Set the Tone with A True Dose™

At TraceTrust, we make your edibles credible. After working with industry leaders to develop a standard that encompasses all the factors that impact quality and reliability. Our True Dose™ and hGMP™ certifications will make your product stand out in terms of excellence in the manufacturing process, consumer safety, and consistency.

The legal cannabis industry is expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2022, with edibles accounting for 1/3 of that. To learn more about increasing your market share and making your product stand out, schedule a free consultation.