In Conversation with Mile High Labs
Scale & Compliance or How to Master International Expansion in a New Industry
In anticipation of our event at the European Parliament on December 12 hosted by MEP Marie Arena, I’m sharing my interview with one of my favorite American companies in Europe, Mile High Labs.
Thanks to Wendi Young, VP of Regulatory and Compliance and Christian Hendriksen, VP of International Expansion
ACTIVE: When it comes to regulation and industry self-regulation, what are the main differences you see between the US and Europe?
Wendi: The main difference between the US and EU is that we have to take into account each of the member states and how they are going to regulate CBD. With the US there is just one deciding body for regulation. That is why we are actively working with trade bodies such as ACTIVE and the Association of the Cannabinoid Industry in the UK to ensure that appropriate standards are being set.
ACTIVE: What set you apart from other players in Europe?
Christian: What really differentiates Mile High Labs, globally, is scale and compliance. We were founded on the vision that CBD will become an ingredient used across a vast number of products and categories. However, for that vision to materialize, someone needs to be able to supply the world’s largest FMCG companies and retailers with high volume, high-quality ingredients, and products. Furthermore, given the high scrutiny, the CBD industry is naturally under given its relation to cannabis, quality assurance and transparent manufacturing are of utmost importance. This is why Stephen Mueller, our founder, invented the Mile High Monster. The Mile High Monster is a modular extraction facility that is capable of processing 50 acres of hemp per day. Combining this capacity with the heavy investment we have made in quality assurance and compliance certifications, we are a unique player in the industry.
Lastly, we are not a vertically integrated company like many other players in this industry. We don’t own farms; we buy industrial hemp from partner farms in the US and leave the cultivation to the experts — the farmers. We see this as a big advantage as this gives us the flexibility to source the best biomass available and enables us to focus on the parts of the value chain were are experts of, namely extraction and formulation.
ACTVE: How is Mile High Labs setting the standards for cannabidiol (CBD) ingredient manufacturing?
Wendi: Our entire extraction and purification process from hemp to final product have been thoroughly inspected and audited by SGS earning us ISO 9001:2015 certification and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) for both food and dietary supplements in the US. We are in the process of gaining additional certifications for laboratory operations (ISO 17025) and BRC (British Retail Consortium). Our quality management system documents everything from receipt of hemp and batch manufacture to product release. We test every ingredient lot, ensuring that the product meets our rigorous specifications. Mile High Labs has based our laboratory operations on the lab standards set for the pharmaceutical industry. All of our methods are thoroughly evaluated to ensure that the data we generate for our products is accurate and precise.
ACTIVE: How does Mile High Labs contribute to building a stronger and safer industry for fellow entrepreneurs?
Christian: A clear example would be our white label product offering. We have created a number of pre-defined products that are available to customers who want to launch a CBD product. These products contain Mile High Labs’ CBD and are produced end-to-end according to Good Manufacturing Practices. We offer these products unlabeled, but we can also assist our customers with design and labeling the products. As a result, this offering provides entrepreneurs with a “plug-and-play” solution to launch high-quality, consistent and compliant products on the market. Furthermore, our customers can draw on our broad expertise across areas such as formulation, compliance and business development for moving their businesses forward.
ACTIVE: In Europe, what is missing today? What will be the most important milestones for the industry?
Wendi: We are lacking a clear regulatory framework in Europe just as we are in the US. However, a clear regulatory pathway must also include regulatory oversight to ensure that the regulations are being followed. There is also a lack of adequate testing standards for the laboratories. It is clear that whoever takes a leadership role will help shape the future for the industry.
