How Argentina “launched” the market for cannabinoid cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes

The decision of the Argentine government aimed at regulating the possibility of using vegetable cannabidiol in products related to cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes once again shows that just by amending the by-laws, it is possible, just like in the EU countries and Argentina, to “launch” a huge market for hemp cosmetics , which uses as raw materials the leaves and inflorescences of technical hemp of a therapeutic orientation, which has a huge healing effect, as well as the ability to local anesthesia.

Exactly a year ago, on the pages of the specialized electronic edition of national hemp growers, the question was raised that “ CBD extract is allowed for use in the formulation of cosmetic preparations produced in the EU ”. Throughout 2021, the attention of our esteemed readers and listeners was focused several times on the fact that “the European Union is reviewing the status of drug-free plant-derived cannabinoids in cosmetics”, so the decision of the Argentine government to regulate this market, which immediately led to the introduction of local cosmetics, deserves attention from national hemp growers.

The topical use of drugs based on the therapeutic properties of cannabis has a long history and is currently spreading in various parts of the world for the treatment of various diseases (primarily pain), as well as as a cosmetic product. In Argentina, the national government regulated the possibility of using therapeutically active elements of the hemp plant in cosmetic preparations in November 2022, by adopting regulation ANMAT 8504, which allowed the registration of products with cannabidiol related to cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes, with a maximum THC content of up to 0.2 %.

As part of the implementation of this decision, the ELEA laboratory from the beginning of 2022 “launched” a company to bring to the country’s market a line of hemp products, the formulation of which includes natural cannabidiol. According to the market information, these products are not only intended to improve the health of consumers, but also have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In particular, in December 2021, ELEA launched Kanbis CBD oil on the country's market, which is positioned as an antiepileptic drug that can be used in the treatment of Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes in patients older than two years. In January 2022, ELEA presented a CBD cream named after the famous brand “RatiSalil”, which the Laboratory acquired two years ago from the international French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.

Commentary of the specialists of the Association “Ukrainian Industrial Hemp”

In November 2021, ANMAT regulation 8504 determined that products that meet the definition of cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes, and also contain "a non-narcotic cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD) of natural origin, present in extracts and natural oils of certain parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L . with a THC content of not more than 0.2% can be officially registered as cosmetic products, personal care products or perfumes. The activities of developing, packaging, importing, exporting and storing these products, as well as individuals or entities that engage in these activities, will be subject to supervision and control by the Office of Evaluation and Monitoring of Health Products.

The decision of the Argentine government aimed at regulating the possibility of using vegetable cannabidiol in products related to cosmetics, personal care products and perfumes once again shows that just by amending the by-laws, it is possible, just like in the EU countries and Argentina, to “launch” a huge market for hemp cosmetics , which uses as raw materials the leaves and inflorescences of technical hemp of a therapeutic orientation, which has a huge healing effect, as well as the ability to local anesthesia.