Testing Weed And Hemp More Accurately: National Institute of Standards and Technology Develops Reference Material

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed and is now selling hemp reference material to more accurately measure key components in cannabis products.

Various studies have shown that THC measurements displayed on labels are not consistently reliable, which can result in safety issues. The new hemp reference material is made to be used by labs to ensure the accuracy of their measurements. This should help law enforcement agencies accurately determine what is hemp and what is a controlled substance or marijuana in this case.

The NIST Hemp Plant Reference Material (RM 8210) comes with an information sheet listing the precise amounts of total THC, CBD and several toxic elements sometimes found in agricultural products, along with uncertainty estimates for each.

To test their measurement methods, labs can analyze a bit of this material, and if those numbers are the same as those on NIST to within an accepted margin of error, instruments are working well. If not, they'll know they should recalibrate them or otherwise troubleshoot their methods.

"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," stated Walter Brent Wilson, one of the NIST chemists who developed the new reference material.

Read Also: Not As High As You’d Think! Weed Products In Oklahoma Less Potent Than Labels Claim

Hemp, Cannabis And Toxic Elements

Even though this reference material is made of hemp, it can be used to validate lab measurements of both hemp and marijuana. Additionally, the material includes measurements for moisture content, but also for arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic elements for which many agricultural products are tested.

"People who use cannabis for medical reasons may be particularly concerned about safety," NIST biologist Colleen Bryan said. "This reference material will help ensure that the cannabis they buy does not contain unsafe levels of toxic elements." 

What's more, the material could also help scientists who study the cannabis effect to accurately measure the dosages used in their studies.

Read Next:

• Is California’s Potent Weed Losing Its Strength? Here’s What’s Behind The 7% THC Drop

Photo: Courtesy of Anan Kaewkhammul via Shutterstock