Canna Companion Receives the NASC Quality Seal

04/05/21

The true story of Canna Companion starts all the way back in the winter of 2000 with a Rottweiler named Riley. “When we tried everything we could for our beloved pet and finally turned to cannabis to support his mobility, we never imagined we’d be here today, in 2021, with the distinction of an NASC Quality Seal for our cannabis business,” said Dr. Sarah Brandon, CEO and one of the co-founders of Canna Companion. 

What is the NASC Quality Seal?

The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) is an organization responsible for establishing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and quality supplier verification for all of its member products. The NASC Quality Seal is earned by companies that are committed to quality animal products and the well-being of animals we love. 

The organization holds its members to some of the strictest quality standards, which include vigilant operating procedures required to make high-quality products.

Achieving the Seal of Quality is no easy feat. NASC Primary Suppliers are inspected every two years by independent third-party auditors to demonstrate ongoing compliance, including quality control, operating procedures, and random testing by an independent lab. 

GMP, also known as cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice), requirements are critical to ensure a consistent, high-quality product. By implementing a strict set of standards, the NASC is able to put forth quality and safety in the manufacturing of consumer products for pets ranging from ointments to dental wipes to pet CBD supplements. 

| Related: Learn more about why cGMPs are so important in the industry. 

Being part of the NASC Primary Suppliers is a highly-valued accomplishment in the animal supplement and veterinary industries and Canna Companion is proud to be recognized along with other businesses that are dedicated to the wellness of companion animals.

 

Our Testing & Manufacturing Procedures

At Canna Companion, we take your pet’s health very seriously. Performing quality assurance testing and adhering to cGMPs is a major aspect of producing the best hemp pet supplements, and those internal standards greatly contributed to earning the NASC Seal qualification, as well as our Pet Sustainability Coalition accredited status

All formulations are tested at multiple stages of the production process to verify potency and purity of our hemp CBD pet supplements. Our achievements to this point demonstrate Canna Companion’s dedication to being an industry leader while maintaining a low environmental impact — all to the betterment of your pet. 

From primary and pro-ingredients – or ingredients we manufacture in-house – to the final products which we sell to our clients, these standards are well-maintained so we can proudly guarantee that we are manufacturing high-quality products with your pet in mind.

 

| Related: Learn more about our testing procedures.

We have certainly come a long way since the beginning. 

In fact, years ago, all our products were made by hand. Our capsules were filled, counted, and bagged upon order. We included special, handwritten notes – all while our team was working additional full-time jobs.

Our investment in Canna Companion is an investment in all of you. When we moved to our current manufacturing facility, we moved from manual capsule filling to a semi-automatic capsule filling machine, which has allowed us to continue to serve our patients and their pet parents. To lessen the impact on the environment, we choose equipment that will serve us for many years and take great care in maintaining that equipment.

 

Looking Ahead

The most exciting part for all of us here at Canna Companion is this: This is merely the beginning.

As we continue on our journey, we are committed to growing Canna Companion as a brand that will support your pets and our community, while staying true to our values.

We continue to improve upon our processes to become more eco-friendly. Our new packaging is 100% recyclable glass with a protective carton made from recycled post-consumer paper. We intend to go from paper-light to fully digital in our manufacturing facility, among other environmental-based changes.

Our employee manual includes more inclusive policies, such as pronoun identification and an explicit commitment to gender and racial equity within our company culture. These changes will be translated to our vendor requirements in order to start a conversation within our industry. 

Finally, as we progress our research and development efforts, Canna Companion will be extending our products and services to Mexico, the EU, and the UK in 2022 – all areas which are opening to hemp products for pets, and places that we already have a trademark registration.

 

There is a long road ahead, but as we celebrate our many achievements, like the NASC Quality Seal, we can’t help but be humbled by our supporters: Riley, our clients from the early days, the incredible team of employees and vendors at Canna Companion who have been with us for so many years, and of course, our loyal customers – we could not have done this without you.

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