Founded in 2019 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Black Flag Genetics is an agricultural consulting company focused solely on Cannabis and all aspects of the
vertically-integrated cannabis business
model.
Black Flag is now based in the Western Cape, and works with medical cannabis facilities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Karl Marais (pictured), Black Flag founder and Director, has over 15 years’ of cannabis research and development experience in the medical and recreational markets. This includes his role as Head of Production at a GMP Cannabis Production Facility (June 2021-August 2022) in the Western Cape where he achieved
specifications for EUGMP Cannabis for global export and helped the company achieve its first two successful cannabis harvests.
Core Skills and Experience
- Project Management
- Facility Design and Operations
- Genetic Research
- Solventless Extraction
- Indoor, Greenhouse and Outdoor Cultivation in various 'live' and inert media using various techniques
- Hydroponics Specialist
- EUGMP Specialist
Recommendation
"We would like to take our time in writing a testimonial for Karl Marais, Founder and Owner, Black Flag Genetics. We have worked with BFG for 12-months now in the medical cannabis industry in South Africa and we have been extremely pleased with the time working with him and the team he managed.
Executing in the medical cannabis sector is an extremely complex, difficult, and technically specific industry. From the cultivation of the cannabis under GACP to drying under GMP to delivering a pharmaceutical product is a task not many cultivators or companies in the agriculture space tend to recognize in early stages. GES Labs is a pharmaceutical extraction business exporting high quality medicines to Germany, Australia, Israel, and the UK and often it is forgotten how important it is for our suppliers and vendors to comply with tough pharmaceutical conditions in the cultivation supply chain.
Our first delivery managed by Karl Marais was Black Cherry Punch, which due to the quality of the product, the compliance with drying, packaging and most importantly traceability and transportation excelled our requirements, and we had no findings or critical issues on the supply chain, of which not many get right the first time.
Due to the quality of the supply chain presented to GES Labs it was possible that this product would be suitable as a starter material for the manufacture of THC vape cartridges, bulk APIs for use in oral medications as well as starter material to product Dronabinol for use in compounding medicines in Germany. We often must reject incoming starter materials for obvious reasons that include correct traceability, packaging specifications delivered, specifications correctly met and tested according to our pharmaceutical requirements – without consistent details in the supply chain, this can cause headaches, rejections or longer release to manufacturing if not all the documentation is met on delivery and inspection.
We can also confirm that our Responsible Pharmacist performed a thorough site inspection of the facilities managed by Karl Marais according to PIC/s GMP and can confirm that according to our strict guidelines and requirements there were no critical findings as a suitable raw
material supplier.
GES Labs has worked with multiple suppliers, and we also acknowledge where hard work has been put in and professional services have been applied to as it ensures a streamlined supply and return on investment with satisfaction of the entire supply chain as this starts from clone to final API. Without awell-managed cultivation, it ruins the potential of the success downstream in the supply chain.”
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