MJBizMag July 2022 - 12

FIVE QUESTIONS with Jacopo Paolini
Stamp of Approval
European Union adds cannabis seeds rich in CBG to catalog
of government-approved farming supplies
By Kristen Nichols
I
magine buying cannabis seeds
the way conventional farmers
do-choosing varieties with
guaranteed germination rates and
profiles-with the bonus of the
seeds being legal to sell in any
state and internationally.
It's a tantalizing prospect and
one that is getting closer to reality,
thanks to legal hemp breeding.
This spring, a Dutch and Italian
seed-breeding company, Enecta,
became the first to get a flower/
cannabinoid variety of cannabis
accepted into the European Union's
catalog of common plant varieties,
a milestone that will for the first
time allow farmers to buy cannabis
seeds bred to produce a cannabinoid
profile guaranteed by government
agriculture authorities.
The new cannabis variety, called
Enectarol, isn't the first certified
hemp variety; the EU and Canada
have long verified fiber and grain
hemp varieties.
What makes Enectarol different
is that it was bred to make a
cannabinoid.
Enectarol is a bushy cannabis
variety that produces cannabigerol,
or CBG, called the " mother
cannabinoid " because it is the
precursor for other cannabinoid
production in cannabis plants,
including THC and CBD.
CBG on its own is getting
attention for possible antiinflammatory
properties, and early
in-vitro research shows it could
inhibit the growth of cancerous
tumors.
12 July 2022 | MJBizMagazine
Until we entered (the catalog)
with this new variety, all the
extracts came from a variety that
may not have a good cannabinoid
profile for the extract markets or not
been tested for the extract market.
Being in the catalog, we can give
our clients the best quality not
only on the level of cannabinoids
but also on the terpene profile.
Now, a farmer can buy seeds in a
legal way. So (they) can be sure
about the result.
When you buy seeds from the
Jacopo Paolini
Last year, the European
Commission approved the use of
CBG in over-the-counter cosmetics,
a ruling that puts Europe ahead of
the United States and Canada.
To find out more about how
Enecta developed a certified
cannabinoid variety-and how long
it will take to see other cannabinoidproducing
plants win government
approval-MJBizMagazine caught
up with the company's co-founder
and chief science officer, Jacopo
Paolini.
What's the big deal about
getting a cannabinoid
producer in the EU catalog of
common plants?
For Enecta, the main business of the
plant is to extract CBD and CBG.
Before, the oil market in Europe
was all based on varieties that were
developed for fiber and for grain,
not for extract.
(illicit) market, you don't know
the level of THC. You don't know
exactly how the plant will perform.
Now, you can buy a variety
legally and be sure that if you use
the seeds and cultivate following
some rules, the final result is 90%
guaranteed, something (the illicit
market) cannot really offer.
Are you seeking certification
from the U.S. version of the EU
catalog, called the Association
of Official Seed Certifying
Agencies (AOSCA)?
Definitely. I think it will take maybe
another year.
Your company also has
submitted a CBD variety
for European certification.
What's the next cannabinoid
on your radar?
We still believe that CBD will be the
main player in the European market
for the next five, six years.
But to be ready for what will
come next ... we want to start to
MJBizMag July 2022

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