ZIMBABWE’S medicinal products regulator, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has approved the selling of Hemp based Cannabidiol (CBD) products in Zimbabwe.
By Kuda Pembere
CBD, or cannabidiol, is non-intoxicating and one of the more than 540 phytochemicals found in the Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) plant. According to Medical News Today, public interest in and the availability of CBD have grown due to its promising health benefits. People use CBD to help with a wide variety of physical and mental issues, including pain, nausea, addiction, and depression.
In a circular, MCAZ Acting Director General Mr Richard Rukwata invited all licensed hemp producers, manufacturers, importers, exports, and retail pharmacists informing them of the approval of hemp based products as complementary medicines. The medical products authority had conditions for the distribution and sale of the Hemp based CBD products.
Interested sellers, Mr Rukwata said, are to submit an application for registration in the form of a dossier as required by complementary medicines guidelines.
Product samples and certificates analyses detailing the amount of cannabidiols in the product and traces of the psychoactively intoxicating tetrahydrocannabinols are required.
Mr Rukwata added the suppliers aimnd retailers of the hemp based CBD products must clearly specify the indications, warnings, contraindications among other information as part of product information in line with the complemetary medicines guidelines.
Satisfactory inspection of manufacturing site by the MCAZ inspectorate to ensure the site complies with Good manufacturing practices for the manufacture of complementary medicines,” he said. “Payment of complementary medicine application fee as gazetted.”
The MCAZ acting DG also noted that selling of unapproved complentary medicines warrants prosection adding that products that are short of their conditions will be forfeited.
“Any Hemp based CBD product applications that do not meet the criteria above may not be approved for distribution and will be confiscated. Further, sellers may be prosecuted for selling unapproved complementary medicines,” Mr Rukwata said.
Zimbabwe joins 21 countries across the world including the United Kingdom which approved the use and sale of hemp products like CBD oils.
