According to a recent report from Leafly, the Czech Republic has its history of folk medicine to thank for being ready to respond to the rising demand for hemp-based skin care, a tradition that has carried it through to be a leading producer today.
According to the report compiled by Lukas Hurt, unlike neighbouring European nations, the Czech Republic does not place many restrictions on the cultivation and processing of hemp, meaning it is a key exporter of hemp cosmetics.
“We managed to sign export agreements worth around $3 million just in first three months of 2016,” Robin Kazík, co-founder and owner of the topicals company Annabis, told Leafly. “By this October we should have branches in 12 different countries.”
Market rising
Cannabis extract is becoming something of an ingredient du jour among cosmetics manufacturers, with non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) resin extract often heralded for its reported capacity to treat various skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, eczema and dry skin.
Since the US Department of Health and Human Services awarded Patent #6,630,507 for CBD and other cannabinoids back in October of 2003, the application of cannabis extracts within cosmetics formulation has been on the rise both in North America and across the globe.
Hemp extract has become a focus for many cosmetic manufacturers as they find themselves pushed increasingly to draw on more innovative ingredients in a bid to shake up the saturated natural and organic market.
CBD also has various health applications, with studies having shown it can alleviate seizure disorders, anxiety and inflammation.
Other players
MCG Pharmaceuticals, a supplier of CBD resin, is another company confirming the rise of cannabis cosmetics as a segment in western markets and Australia.
The company recently set up an online platform for the retail of its cosmetics products, which allows it to sell directly to EU consumers.
“With the global interest in cannabis based products growing rapidly and the large opportunity in the $US460 billion dollar cosmetics market, MGC Pharmaceuticals is well positioned to be the market leader in the cannabis industry,” the company’s co-founder and MD, Nativ Segev, asserted at the time of the launch.