The National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) is selling a hemp reference material designed to help laboratories accurately measure key components in Cannabis products. The reference materials are meant to help law enforcement agencies accurately distinguish between hemp and THC-rich Cannabis products and assist manufacturers and regulatory agencies ensure that hemp products are safe and accurately labeled.   

A 2022 study by NIST found some hemp products were inaccurately labeled and contained more THC than allowed under federal law. 

The NIST Hemp Plant Reference Material includes an information sheet that lists precise amounts of total THC, CBD, and several toxic elements – including arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium –  sometimes found in agricultural products, along with uncertainty estimates for each. The reference material can be used for both hemp and THC-rich Cannabis products.  

In a press release, Walter Brent Wilson, one of the NIST chemists who developed the new reference material, noted that “A farmer’s crop or a company’s product can be seized or potentially destroyed if it turns out to be a ‘hot’ material, so it’s important to make the correct determination.” 

NIST biologist Colleen Bryan, who was also on the team that developed the reference material, added that the “reference material will help ensure that the Cannabis they buy does not contain unsafe levels of toxic elements.”   

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