American Testing and Materials Association approves new standards for cannabis industry

The American Association for Testing and Materials (ASTM) cannabis committee has approved four new standards for the cannabis industry and is developing a new pattern for medicinal cannabis inflorescences, with reporting requirements for cannabinoids and terpenes. The aim is to increase the consistency of product evaluation to improve public health.

The American Association of Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an entity in the United States that issues specific standards for various industries. The association's cannabis committee has now issued four standards for the cannabis industry to benefit and harmonize the industry for patients, companies and regulators.

1 – The first standard (D8375) will provide a method for establishing cannabinoid content in cannabis and hemp samples.

Garnet McRae, a member of ASTM, notes that laboratories, producers and researchers will find this standard useful, as well as regulatory bodies and consumers, as it will help ensure that products are properly labeled in the jurisdictions where they are legally produced and sold. This standard can also be used in forensic laboratories to analyze illegal samples to confirm cannabinoid content and support further cannabinoid research.

2 – The second standard (D8399) will help laboratories analyze cannabis and hemp samples to establish pesticide concentration levels – or lack thereof – to ensure products meet regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions where they are in circulation.

3 – The third standard (D8442) will provide a method for testing terpenes and cannabinoids through the gas chromatography procedure. According to ASTM International Fellow Randall Shearer, this standard will help control the quality of cannabis and will allow growers, extractors, producers and regulators to ensure the safety and consistency of cannabis and hemp products. Shearer notes that it will be most useful for manufacturers, regulatory bodies and laboratories to meet consumer needs.

4 – The fourth standard (D8469) will help manufacturers, regulatory bodies and other industry stakeholders by providing a new testing method for heavy metals in cannabis. The standard provides an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method that will be used to detect hazardous metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead in cannabis.

The committee is planning a full inter-laboratory study of the standard in late 2022. Additionally, the ASTM International Cannabis Committee (D37) has developed a new standard on medicinal cannabis inflorescences.

The standard, soon to be published as standard D8439, provides specifications for cannabis flowers that can be used to support sound and reproducible research. According to ASTM International member David Vaillencourt, this standard will help consumers, laboratories, regulators and manufacturers of cannabis products by establishing consistent quality and safety tests.

“With a fragmented market in the cannabis industry, there is no common set of requirements for reporting cannabinoids and terpenes, which are key constituents linked to therapeutic benefits,” says Vaillencourt.

“This lack of consistency undermines public health and prevents evaluation of the product's safety and efficacy in all jurisdictions. This standard provides a solution to this problem.” Vaillencourt further notes that with the rapid pace of innovation in the cannabis industry, more steps must be taken, such as the creation of the D8439 standard, to standardize internationally and ensure the well-being of patients.