New standards for the cannabis industry are coming from ASTM

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The initiative is meant to help fortify the efforts of the cannabis industry

Four new standards for the marijuana industry were approved by the D37 cannabis committee, as confirmed by ASTM International a few weeks ago. Days later, the same organization announced the development of a new standard that is expected to be published soon.

Those already working in the marijuana space, as well as consumers and regulators, may start to notice a lot of support from the four newly approved standards. For example, D8375 is responsible for establishing cannabinoid content in cannabis and hemp samples. Such a standard will ensure that products are labeled correctly based on the jurisdictions where they are legally produced and sold.

On the other hand, D8399 is a standard capable of assisting laboratories when analyzing cannabis samples. As a result, it would ensure that the products launched on the market comply with the regulatory requirements within the relevant jurisdictions.

Stakeholders in the marijuana supply chain with quality control measures will find an ally in the D8442 standard. The standard provides an effective method for assessing terpene and cannabinoid levels by gas chromatography. And finally, D8469, would provide a new method for testing cannabis for metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

D8439 is the fifth standard recently announced by ASTM. It was created with the intent to “support robust and reproducible research” by providing specifications for medical cannabis flower. ASTM member David Vaillencourt says this new measure would pave the way for establishing concrete tests for quality and safety.

“With a fragmented cannabis industry marketplace, there is no common set of requirements around reporting cannabinoids and terpenes, which are the primary constituents that are linked to therapeutic benefits,” says Vaillencourt. “This lack of consistency harms public health and prevents evaluation of product safety and efficacy across jurisdictions. This standard provides a solution to this problem.”