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Cannabis

Photograph of cannabis leaves and buds against a black background
Credit: Walter Brent Wilson

Thirty-three states have passed legislation making marijuana legal for medical purposes and 11 of these states allow recreational use of marijuana.  With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp and hemp-derived products became federally legal in intrastate commerce. Hemp was defined by the bill as plants of the Cannabis genus containing not more than 0.3 % Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). The Cannabis community has needs for analytical tools for improving the determination of Δ9-THC, THCA and other cannabinoids, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, toxic elements, and microbiological contaminants in these Cannabis products. The Chemical Sciences Division at NIST is developing an integrated measurement services program for Cannabis to ensure the quality of routine analysis in Cannabis testing laboratories with a three-pronged approach. 

  1. Robust analytical methods for a variety of technologies (GC-MS, LC-UV, LC-MS/MS) 
  2. Cannabis Reference Materials 
  3. Cannabis Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP).

For additional technical information please visit our website or contact the CSD Cannabis Team (cannabis [at] nist.gov (cannabis[at]nist[dot]gov)). 

Created June 26, 2020, Updated August 17, 2020