Hemp and cannabis strains have striking similarities. However, they differ in the amount of THC that is in each one.
THC has psychoactive or mind altering abilities. As a result, it is classified in Appendix 1 and is considered illegal under federal law. Since hemp only contains traces of THC, it does not fall into this category. If anything, it was fully legalized at the federal level with the passage of the Agricultural Act 2018.
The percentage of THC in hemp is his make or break; cross the 0.3% threshold and officially you are dealing with marijuana. Depending on your state laws, you could run into big problems!
When you get the exact amount of THC in a sample, the rubber hits the road. Most laboratories are not equipped with the proper techniques to do this effectively. This difference in quantification and testing methods makes it difficult to standardize in the industry. This is an area that needs to be investigated.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) just released the results of a study designed to help laboratories get accurate THC measurements in samples for informed decision-making. This goes hand in hand with their quality assurance program under the CannaQAP brand. The results that have been anonymized were published on the NIST website in July. The reason for maintaining anonymity was to encourage laboratories to participate without worrying about “failing” or “passing” the test.
Hemp samples were prepared with exact amounts of THC, CBD, and other compounds and sent to various laboratories for testing. One hundred and sixteen laboratories participated, including commercial laboratories performing cannabis testing and academic chemical testing laboratories. Almost 83 percent of the participating laboratories sent data to the NIST. The labs measured various cannabinoids (and pollutants) and sent the results to the NIST lab for comparison.
Although the results fluctuated significantly, the researchers said this was normal and to be expected:
“The entire industry does quite well with the target values.”
With this study, NIST hopes to create a learning opportunity for cannabis testing laboratories and help standardize testing methods in the industry. NIST will also use the results to determine the methods and practices that will work best.
Finally, NIST hopes to create a reference material for hemp that will serve as an industry guide.
Image source
https://cbdhealthandwellness.net/2021/08/02/does-cbd-athletic-tape-work/