Credit: R. Press/NIST
After weighing this package of marijuana, NIST research chemist Brent Wilson ground up the contents to prepare samples with very precisely measured amounts of THC, CBD and other compounds. Those samples will be sent to labs as part of a study that will help labs improve their measurement accuracy. Labs that are not licensed to handle controlled substances will receive samples of hemp instead of marijuana.
Hemp and marijuana both come from the Cannabis plant. But legally, they are very different. If cannabis has less than 0.3% THC — for tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical that produces a high — it is considered hemp and legal throughout the United States. Otherwise, it’s marijuana and currently treated as a controlled substance by the federal government and many states.
But labs can have a hard time distinguishing between the two because accurately measuring THC can be difficult, especially at such low levels. Now, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is inviting labs to participate in a study that will help them get the accurate measurements they need to make a reliable call.
This study is part of NIST’s Cannabis Quality Assurance Program, or CannaQAP, which helps both forensic and cannabis industry labs accurately measure cannabis compounds. For this study, NIST will send hemp and marijuana plant samples to labs, which will measure the concentration of various compounds and report back to NIST.
This type of interlaboratory study helps labs diagnose technical issues and increases measurement consistency across labs. Labs that are interested in participating can enroll through Feb. 5, 2021.
Many labs have ..
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