Started in 2004, Clean Green Certification is the largest nationally recognized third party certifying body for cannabis. Clean Green(CG) upholds some of the highest standards in the cannabis industry for organic practice, modeled on USDA National Organic Program, sustainable farming, and international food safety and handling specifications. To be Clean Green Certified means a grower and processor has passed a rigorous review that proves they uphold sustainable and responsible practices coupled with organic inputs, legal compliance, consumer safety and transparency.

CG provides a layer of protection and greater level of confidence for consumers, ensuring CG cannabis products are grown and formulated to the highest standards. CG requires farmers to use the most responsible and regenerative practices so they’re not only producing great clean cannabis, but are stewards of the land, protecting the resources around them. Each year CG farmers are required to reduce their carbon footprint from the previous year and practice appropriate water conservation practices, preventing soil erosion and nutrient run off, far more stringent than most any other program. Clean Green requires adherence to fair and equitable labor practices, as some farms use migrant and or poorly paid workers to sustain their farms.

Why is Clean Green Certified different (better?) than the USDA Organic requirements?

The USDA Organic requirements do not go nearly as far as Clean Green when it comes to cannabis. Some key differences between the two include (but are not limited to):

• CG requires soil testing from every field, testing for 118 different pesticides (USDA has the right to test, but rarely does.)

• CG mandates only certified organic cover crops (USDA allows conventional cover crops.)

• CG mandates a nonporous washable drying facility, and gloves and hair nets for workers (USDA leaves it up to farmers best judgement.)

• CG works with farmers and product makers to reduce the carbon footprint of the farm and the ingredients they use in their products, year after year, making re-certifications more challenging to attain each year. (USDA does not track or have a carbon reduction program.)

• CG works with and certifies medical/recreational marijuana facilities, not just hemp. (USDA can not certify marijuana due to the federal classification as a schedule 1 drug.)

Why is Clean Green Certified so important to NurseGrown Organics?

We pursued a Clean Green Certification because we believe that it is imperative that our product be of the highest quality for our customers, and that we grow our cannabis safely and sustainably. For us, the emphasis on safety and quality along with sustainability made our decision easy. We love being as transparent as we can because consumers deserve to know what’s in their products, how they were grown and processed, and all the steps along the way.

Several specific examples come to mind on how CG works better for NurseGrown Organics. CG allows us to use beeswax from a local certified organic farm, even though beeswax itself cannot be certified organic due to the bees' flight paths. However, the USDA insists the beeswax is certified organic even if that means shipping it into the US from Europe, India or other countries, which increases the carbon footprint. Recently the USDA began allowing herbicides use for organic farms, and this is something that we definitely are not comfortable with. Finally, CG emphasizes cleanliness throughout the full process including the drying process. While the USDA allows drying in older barns, CG requires a non porous, washable facility. Why is this important? Many hemp crops are dried in barns that are very questionable, if not evident for mold and mildew, and that is not a risk we are willing to take.

When someone buys a CG certified product, they should know that from the soil to the final product, the process was done in an environmentally responsible, transparent and clean manner. Having a Clean Green Certification for NurseGrown Organics provides our customers with peace of mind knowing that we adhere to the most stringent standards in the cannabis industry, from cultivation through processing and product formulation.

Clean Green “The closest you can get to organic in the cannabis industry!”

Nurse Grown Organics “Cannabis products you can trust!”