04.29.20
AOAC announced that a liquid chromatography-diode array detection (LC-DAD) method previously approved as Official Method of Analysis for cannabinoids in cannabis plant materials, concentrates, and oils, is now approved for hemp.
“Until now, no globally recognized method for validating the potency of hemp was available to laboratories,” Scott Coates, program lead for AOAC’s Cannabis Analytical Science Program (CASP).
The new validation and approval will allow laboratories to evaluate hemp for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis, as described by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Interim Final Rule governing the production of hemp under the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, also known as the Farm Bill. Testing for THC levels is a fundamental part of the program.
The official method of analysis is an LC-DAD technique with optional mass spectrometric detection of THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) individually, so their concentrations can be reported either individually or as total THC. The new method is applicable to all concentrates, extracts, and plant materials of the Cannabis species including hemp.
With modification to include a procedure for sample dry weight determination, the official method of analysis was approved for hemp testing by an AOAC expert review panel chaired by Melissa Phillips, a research chemist at U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, following a rigorous month-long review and validation process.
The method was evaluated for its adherence to standard method performance requirements on low THC varieties of hemp, and is mentioned in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Hemp Program’s guidance as the recommended standard for laboratories to meet when selecting a method for analyzing THC levels.
AHPA chief science officer Dr. Holly E. Johnson chairs the CASP working group, which includes members from industry, government, and academia, that created the Standard Method Performance Requirements for evaluating candidate methods.
“Until now, no globally recognized method for validating the potency of hemp was available to laboratories,” Scott Coates, program lead for AOAC’s Cannabis Analytical Science Program (CASP).
The new validation and approval will allow laboratories to evaluate hemp for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry-weight basis, as described by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Interim Final Rule governing the production of hemp under the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, also known as the Farm Bill. Testing for THC levels is a fundamental part of the program.
The official method of analysis is an LC-DAD technique with optional mass spectrometric detection of THC and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) individually, so their concentrations can be reported either individually or as total THC. The new method is applicable to all concentrates, extracts, and plant materials of the Cannabis species including hemp.
With modification to include a procedure for sample dry weight determination, the official method of analysis was approved for hemp testing by an AOAC expert review panel chaired by Melissa Phillips, a research chemist at U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, following a rigorous month-long review and validation process.
The method was evaluated for its adherence to standard method performance requirements on low THC varieties of hemp, and is mentioned in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Hemp Program’s guidance as the recommended standard for laboratories to meet when selecting a method for analyzing THC levels.
AHPA chief science officer Dr. Holly E. Johnson chairs the CASP working group, which includes members from industry, government, and academia, that created the Standard Method Performance Requirements for evaluating candidate methods.