PENNSYLVANIA: ASTM International’s cannabis committee (D37) has approved four new standards that will benefit those working within the cannabis industry, as well as regulators and consumers of cannabis and cannabis-related products.
The first standard (D8375) will provide a method to establish cannabinoid content in cannabis and hemp samples.
ASTM member Garnet McRae notes that laboratories, producers, and researchers will find the standard useful. He adds that regulatory bodies and consumers will also benefit as the standard will help ensure products are labeled properly in jurisdictions where they are legally produced and sold.
The standard may also be used in forensics labs for analysis of illegal samples to confirm cannabinoid content and to support further cannabinoid research.
A second standard (D8399) will aid laboratories in analyzing cannabis and hemp samples to establish pesticide concentration levels – or lack thereof – to ensure products meet regulatory requirements within appropriate jurisdictions.
Regulatory requirements typically include minimum concentration performance limits which pesticide methods must achieve. The standard will help to address health and safety concerns as well as labelling and regulatory requirements for consumable cannabis products.
McRae adds that cannabis testing laboratories, producers, regulatory bodies, and consumers, will all benefit from the new standard.
The third standard (D8442) will provide a method to test for terpenes and cannabinoids in cannabis using gas chromatography.
According to ASTM International member Randall Shearer, this standard will assist in quality control for cannabis, allowing cultivators, extractors, producers, and regulatory bodies to ensure safety and consistency of cannabis and hemp products. Shearer notes it will be most useful to manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and labs to address consumer needs.
The final standard (D8469) will aid manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and other cannabis industry stakeholders by providing a new test method for metals in cannabis.
The standard provides a method through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) that will be used for detecting dangerous metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in cannabis.