Canneff

Canneff (stylised CANNEFF®) is a Czech skincare and cosmetics brand built around crystalline, non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD). It is owned by CB21 Pharma s.r.o., a Brno-based pharmaceutical company, and according to the company the name is an acronym formed from "Cannabis" and "Efficient" [1]. The brand launched its first 15 cosmetic products in 2019 and now spans skincare, body care, haircare and a small makeup range, alongside CBD-based medical devices sold through its parent company.

Canneff positions itself on laboratory evidence rather than marketing claims, with the tagline "Beauty revealed by science." The brand remains active: its Czech online shop carries a 2026 copyright, runs a loyalty programme, and the company states it has served more than 100,000 customers.

Canneff grew out of the research of organic chemist Jan Storch, who studied at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague and earned his doctorate at the Czech Academy of Sciences, where the brand says he chairs the Department of Advanced Organic Synthesis Materials. His work on the industrial separation of cannabidiol led to the founding of CB21 Pharma and, in turn, the Canneff brand [1].

The cosmetics themselves were formulated by Lenka Průšová, a chemist and cosmetics safety evaluator who, after a course at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, became — by the company's account — the youngest certified cosmetics safety evaluator in the Czech Republic. She describes developing the Canneff recipes "from scratch," using an analogy in which Storch supplied the cannabidiol "apple" while she worked out how to bake it into a finished product [1]. Czech press reports that Storch and Průšová met in September 2016, a meeting that expanded CB21 Pharma's planned portfolio to include cosmetics [9].

Sources differ on who counts as a founder. The brand's own About page names only Storch and Průšová, the two scientist co-owners of CB21 Pharma and Canneff [1]. Czech business outlets add a third figure: mathematician, billionaire and philanthropist Karel Janeček, described as the majority owner who financed the CBD research — by CzechCrunch's account, investing tens of millions of korunas several years before the venture showed commercial results [7].

CB21 Pharma's CBD research predates the cosmetics line, but Canneff as a consumer brand dates to 2019, when the company launched 15 products developed under Průšová's direction [7]. In 2021 the parent company reached a wider milestone: according to Radio Prague International, CB21 Pharma became the first firm in the world able to produce and sell finished medical devices containing CBD, after the Slovak certification body 3EC International approved its rectal and vaginal suppositories [6]. From February that year the devices were distributed through the Dr. Max and Alphega pharmacy chains as well as the Canneff e-shop [7].

Canneff is a brand of CB21 Pharma s.r.o., which the company describes as the only Czech pharmaceutical firm holding a GMP certificate for medicinal CBD production [1]. Storch and Průšová are co-owners; Janeček is identified in press coverage as the majority owner and financial backer [7]. No acquisitions or sister brands are recorded.

The brand frames its work around the slogan "always based on evidence," and states that it tests for safety and irritation, verifies the efficiency of active ingredients at given concentrations and works with its own scientific board. Its stated mission is blunt: "We do not sell promises. Ethics is not a bonus but the foundation of our work." Canneff markets itself in the luxury or "prestige" tier, repeatedly describing its products as luxury cosmetics for sensitive skin.

What the company presents as its distinguishing feature is the use of "perfectly pure crystalline cannabidiol" rather than the cannabis oil used by many competitors. Storch argues that such oils contain only trace cannabidiol, whereas Canneff isolates pure non-psychotropic CBD for every product; the company links cannabidiol to soothing irritation and redness, moisturising, and accelerating skin regeneration [1].

Canneff's catalogue is organised into three named lines. BALANCE is aimed at sensitive skin, with most products fragrance-free and dermatologically tested; GREEN emphasises natural-origin ingredients and recycled or recyclable packaging; and EFFECT by CANNEFF is a higher-end range of functional and decorative cosmetics co-developed with the Czech influencer Petra "Lovelyhair" Vančurová. Beyond cannabidiol, formulations combine ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, plant ceramides, stem cells, squalane, natural oils and vitamins.

The separate medical-device side of the business — the CBD rectal and vaginal suppositories certified in 2021 — sits with CB21 Pharma rather than the cosmetics brand. The company said at the time that it was seeking patent protection for both devices [6].

Canneff states that it sources natural ingredients exclusively from sustainable suppliers, tracks the distance those materials travel, and chooses recycled or recyclable, minimalist packaging while recycling all of its cardboard. The brand's ethics page argues that such practices "should be done automatically" rather than presented as exceptional. In 2023, co-CEO Lenka Průšová was named Manager of the Year in the Sustainability category.

The brand is active. Its Czech-language e-shop is maintained with current bestsellers, promotions and a 2026 copyright, and the company reports more than 100,000 customers and a presence extending across European pharmacy retail. Canneff is Czech-headquartered with EU and wider European reach rather than a global operation.