CSQ Launches EU GMP Tool to Help Cannabis Businesses Break Into European Markets
As U.S. cannabis rescheduling moves forward and export opportunities to the European Union become available, a new certification tool to help producers prove their products meet EU standards and fight back against supply chain fraud is now available.
CSQ (Cannabis Safety & Quality), the first ANAB-accredited cannabis and hemp safety and quality certification program, announced this week the publication of its new EU GMP Addendum, kicking off a public comment period that runs through June 1, 2026. The addendum is designed to help cannabinoid producers worldwide demonstrate compliance with EudraLex Volume 4, Parts 1 & 2, and Annex 7 — the EU’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulatory framework for medicinal herbal products.
What the Addendum Does — and Doesn’t Do
The EU GMP Addendum is not a standalone regulatory certification. Rather, it functions as a third-party validation layered on top of a producer’s existing certification issued by a recognized Competent Authority. It gives producers a documented paper trail of compliance that can be presented to potential EU buyers — a critical validation as more North American operators eye the European medical cannabis market.
The tool is also specifically aimed at curbing what CSQ calls “greenwashing” in the cannabis supply chain, a practice where imported products are falsely relabeled as EU GMP-certified before being sold across Europe.
“When a pharmacist in Europe sells a medical cannabinoid product to a patient, they shouldn’t have to question whether or not that product is safe, or if GMPs were followed, they should know without a doubt,” said Darwin Millard, CSQ’s Technical Director.
Why This Matters Now
With U.S. federal cannabis rescheduling underway, the window for American cannabis and hemp producers to access international markets — including the EU’s growing medical cannabis sector — is opening. But gaining entry requires more than product quality; it requires internationally recognized documentation of that quality. The CSQ addendum aims to fill that gap.
CSQ’s broader certification program is built on ASTM, ISO, cGMP/cGACP, HACCP, and other internationally recognized standards, and is designed to help companies build what CSQ describes as a “best-in-class Cannabis Safety & Quality Management System.”
How to Participate
Industry stakeholders, regulators, and experts are encouraged to download the CSQ 2.0 EU GMP Addendum and submit feedback through the Public Comment Form at www.csqcertification.com/public-comment before the June 1st deadline. Audits under the finalized addendum — incorporating all public comment feedback — are expected to begin in Q4 2026.
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