API, or active pharmaceutical ingredient, is a term most people in the hemp industry may not be familiar with.
For now.
All that’s about to change as hemp works to take its place as an ingredient in a variety of different medicinal products.
What is an API?
An API is a specific ingredient within a drug that produces the intended effects. Basically, it’s a specific part of a medication that does exactly what it says it will.
All drugs come from two types of components, the API and the excipient. The API is the star, the central ingredient. The excipient is the support. It helps deliver the medication to your system and is an inactive substance within the drug.
To receive API classification, a manufacturer must prove the potency of the product. This must occur in actual patients and laboratory conditions. This also means hemp growers and pharmaceutical companies now must work together to create drugs that pass muster.
It’s a work in progress
Not every company extracting cannabinoids from hemp has an API designation. The accreditation gets awarded to companies after a rigorous review of manufacturing methods and also processes. This all occurs by a third-party auditor to ensure quality, reliability, and consistency of product.
These steps all ensure that the finished product is okay for use in pharmaceutical products.
To meet the strict standards of API certification you need:
- Stable plant genetics
- Reliable production techniques
- Consistent levels of cannabinoids and terpenes
Most often, automated, high-tech processing equipment provides the best opportunity to meet the standards associated with production. Then, it’s just up to the performance of the plant. Using clones will help maintain plant genetics as well as cannabinoid yield.
It’s definitely possible for many hemp companies to meet these standards. However, most didn’t start off thinking about offering API-certified hemp, so changes will end up getting made to comply.
The benefits of API certification
There are two huge benefits to hemp having the ability to earn API certification. First, it legitimizes hemp and its extracts on a scientific level. It’s also no longer about user experience, and hearsay only. This is a tangible piece of proof that hemp can do what it says and actually help people.
Many users have known this all along, based on their own experiences. But, many people are still hesitant to use hemp because of its connection to marijuana. Having API hemp in medications will help eliminate the doubt and stigma the plant carries.
The other benefit is hemp’s entrance into the pharmaceutical industry. We’re taking revenue here from a significant source. The pharma industry is huge, pulling in over $1 trillion worldwide in 2020. Grabbing a piece of that by having a usable ingredient in medications gives the hemp industry a serious boost.
Starting at the right point for API hemp
Finding API hemp is still hard in the US since many companies don’t have product. Arbor Vita8, already recognized for it’s high-quality extracts and products, offers wholesale API isolate powder. Our product meets the rigorous standards at every stage.
For farmers interested in unifying their strain of hemp to possibly look into future API certification, Arbor Vita8 has expert scientists working on seeds, seedlings, and clones. Made from the finest genetics, we know how our plants will perform, because we take the time to get to know the genetics we’re working with.
Whether you’re ready for an API ingredient today, or thinking how you can contribute to this growing trend in the future, Arbor Vita8 is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.
