Evolved Magazine
Organic Consciousness Plant Medicine & Lifestyle
Install App?
Evolved Magazine
digital.evolvedmagazine.co.za
This is how the Install App dialog will look like once your App goes live.
Druid’s Garden comes from a background in traditional African and Asian medicines made from plants and mushrooms, so it seemed like a natural step that we officially moved into cannabis in mid 2018.
We developed our own genetics and experimented with local landrace and hybrid international strains from seed to final products such as oral drops and topical creams.
We also applied for our SAHPRA medical grade cannabis cultivation license in late 2018 and began a journey of rapid learning about millions of medical compliance requirements and the associated documentation. After nearly 2 and a half years of innumerable challenges we were awarded our license in February 2021.
Compliance is an area that is often underestimated and ends up taking a lot more time and money than anticipated. In the beginning we employed a part time compliance officer that is now full time…and has an assistant…and an administrator. Don’t ever underestimate the massive amount of paperwork required to do anything with medical cannabis. And it seems that the industry will be even more regulated with more and more reports to write and forms to fill in. So we took a decision to go more electronic with automated control systems and data collection to make compliance and reporting simpler and more accurate.
One positive aspect of our development is the use of cutting edge agri-technology to control and record climatic conditions, CO2 levels, irrigation and the use of nutrients. This allows the implementation of automated track and trace systems that record the plants full history, from the breeding of the seed/clone right up to the final consumer product.
All collected data is stored on blockchain and accessible to a wholesaler or the end user with the scan of a bar or QR code. This traceability is key to ensuring quality control and is already an international requirement.
Quality control and the standard operating procedures (SOP’s) required to achieve quality objectives is critical for every single action that happens at the Druid’s Garden facility.
In 2019 we had about 17 SOP’s and now have nearly 80 SOP’s with over 40 supporting documents…and still amend them regularly as we improve and refine our methodologies and quality standards.
Druid’s Garden does a lot of its own research and therefore has first-hand data on its raw materials and final products. The R&D permit allowed us to develop over 20 cannabis medicines and we are currently preparing to register 4 of those as a start.
Our main off-take client is an Australian pharmaceutical company and in order to supply them and their international clients we were required to undergo an audit by their Therapeutic Goods Authority. This has been going on for 3 months and is one of the toughest processes we have ever had to endure. We thought that the SAHPRA standards were high, but this is another level.
The upside is that the TGA certification will allow us to supply medical grade flower anywhere in the world. Something that most local cannabis farmers thought they could do, but then realised that they were not compliant to international standards and could therefore not sell their flower or oil.
much effort into them that we have
managed to grow sustainably.
![[object Object]](https://cdn.magloft.com/pwa-62/article/image/7f8a8b01-f706-45f7-b6a9-48f813e49b37.png?optimizer=image&width=360&aspect_ratio=3:4)
Cultivating Society, Naturally
Canna Trade Africa (CTA) the company that Powers “The Greenside” and “Fresh and Healthy”. Started in September 2018 and launched officially at the first Cannabis expo in December 3018 and has just completed its fifth successful Cannabis Expo in Cape Town.
![[object Object]](https://cdn.magloft.com/pwa-62/article/image/8d7945c6-dd49-4ccf-b9d2-535cee01b09e.png?optimizer=image&width=360&aspect_ratio=3:4)
Let’s Talk About Cultivating Harmoniously
The South African cannabis community has been anxiously awaiting signs of progression, that would hopefully have stemmed from President Cyril Ramaphosa's speech at the most recent state of the nation address. While many of the industry and public stakeholders feel SAHPRA has purposefully ...
![[object Object]](https://cdn.magloft.com/pwa-62/article/image/cd4f091c-ccc3-475e-a1f8-2c9da6f35619.png?optimizer=image&width=360&aspect_ratio=3:4)
Is the Market REALLY Ready?
We’ve spoken at length about Market Readiness within the cannabis industry. From seed to CBD oil, stocked and ready to sell and all the politics in between, but have we done all we can as an Industry to ensure our own protection and sustainability? No!
![[object Object]](https://cdn.magloft.com/pwa-62/article/image/08391095-7764-437a-8e38-270d7f9c6049.png?optimizer=image&width=360&aspect_ratio=3:4)
Cultivating a Love for Mushrooms
It’s not difficult to fall in love with the wonder of mushrooms. From small, light, and delicate, to rich, meaty and dense, these little powerhouses hold the secrets to youth and longevity. They are truly magical in their abilities to heal and nourish at every level of the human experience.
![[object Object]](https://cdn.magloft.com/pwa-62/article/image/ef1ae52e-c59e-4b11-a4c0-c0dbd711836e.png?optimizer=image&width=360&aspect_ratio=3:4)
Fusing Health and Education
How does a business combine both health and education in order to not only satisfy consumer needs, but also equip them with invaluable life changing knowledge, staked on evidence-based research? A difficult task indeed, however one such group of dedicated individuals have sought to accomplish just that ...
1
Trailblazing Partners - Issue 6
2
Foreword - Issue 6
3
Issue 6 - Cover
Issue 6 - Cultivation
