U.S. Standards Agency Releases Material to Help Labs Distinguish “Marijuana” From “Hemp”

This is just a glimpse. Want to receive every issue of Cannabis Wire Daily, our newsletter that is sent to subscribers each weekday morning? Subscribe today.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced this week that it now has “hemp reference material” available for labs to “accurately measure key components in cannabis plant products” and to “accurately distinguish between hemp and marijuana.” 

The material can be used by law enforcement, cannabis regulators, and even cannabis companies, they note, for a range of purposes. For example, labs can use the material to “ensure that their measurement methods are working properly,” while researchers will be able to more “accurately measure the dosages used in their studies” so they can “compare results across studies more easily.”

“If you buy a product that claims to have 25 milligrams of CBD per dose, you should be able to trust that number,” said NIST biologist Colleen Bryan in the announcement.

Looking closer: “Marijuana,” which is cannabis with more than .3% THC, remains federally illegal. Hemp, which is distinguished from “marijuana” by its low-THC content, even though both are cannabis, is legal. However, there are no federal regulations in place yet for hemp-derived products like CBD.

Nonetheless, NIST’s announcement acknowledges that an industry for cannabis-derived products has taken shape. NIST says its new material “will help companies in the fast-growing cannabis industry and state regulators ensure that cannabis products are safe and accurately labeled.”

Why this matters: NIST’s work on standards for testing is likely to be incorporated into the national approach to regulated cannabis, when the time comes. So the entity is one to watch closely. As Cannabis Wire has reported, NIST’s work also includes research around how to test for cannabis impairment, and research on mislabeling of products on the market today.

More: NIST released an “information sheet” about the new material, which you can check out here.