What Is GACP-Certified Cannabis?
GACP – Good Agricultural and Collection Practices – is the quality standard for cultivating and collecting medicinal plants, including cannabis. Derived from WHO guidelines, it requires documented cultivation, hygiene, traceability and record-keeping. In Thailand, GACP certification is issued under the Ministry of Public Health (DTAM); EU-GACP is the European equivalent, audited by certification bodies such as SGS.
GACP in plain terms
A GACP-certified farm grows to a documented, repeatable procedure: every input, environment setting and handling step is recorded, so each batch is traceable and can be independently tested. To see how these requirements translate into day-to-day operations, read our GACP SOPs at a working cannabis farm.
Thai GACP vs EU-GACP
| Thai GACP | EU-GACP | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued / audited by | Ministry of Public Health (DTAM) | Certification bodies such as SGS |
| What it signals | Certified for Thailand’s medical cannabis market | The standard licensed importers in the EU look for |
| Scope | Documented cultivation & collection, hygiene, traceability, record-keeping (WHO-derived) | |
What GACP means for buyers
- Batch consistency – documented, repeatable cultivation instead of ad-hoc growing.
- Verifiable quality – a certificate you can check plus a third-party COA you can test against.
- Supply-chain eligibility – licensed medical supply chains and export routes ask for it.
GACP vs GMP – different stages
GACP covers the cultivation and collection of the plant. GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice – covers the manufacturing of finished medicinal products, a later stage of the chain. A farm holds GACP; a manufacturer holds GMP. When importers ask for “EU-GACP flower”, they mean cultivation-stage certified material that their licensed processors then handle under GMP.
GACP at Solar Farm
Solar Farm is certified to both Thai GACP (MOPH/DTAM) and EU-GACP (SGS-audited), runs an in-house HPLC lab, and ships a third-party COA for every batch. Licensed buyers can visit on a window-viewing farm tour by appointment. See the GACP supplier overview, our EU-GACP export page, or about Solar Farm.
Frequently asked questions
What does GACP stand for?
Good Agricultural and Collection Practices – the WHO-derived quality standard for cultivating and collecting medicinal plants, including cannabis.
Who issues GACP certification in Thailand?
Thai GACP is issued under the Ministry of Public Health (DTAM).
What is the difference between GACP and EU-GACP?
Both follow the same WHO-derived principles. Thai GACP is issued by the Thai Ministry of Public Health; EU-GACP is audited by certification bodies such as SGS and is the standard licensed importers in the EU look for.
How do I verify a farm’s GACP status?
Ask for certificate copies and a recent third-party batch COA – reputable farms share both.