An international standards developing organization, ASTM Intl. launched a new committee focused on creating technical standards and guidance materials for cannabis and its products and processes.
A March 1 ASTM press release reported that on Feb. 28 some 60 industry representatives, associations, and others convened at ASTM International's global headquarters nearPhiladelphiaand created a volunteer committee on cannabis (to be designated D37). The meeting was a result of broad interest and inquiries to ASTM International since 2015 to develop high-quality standards for this industry.
The board of directors will receive a recommendation to approve this committee and, if approved, the committee plans to host its first official meeting in the coming months.
Initially, the new committee plans to focus on standards development in six technical areas (which will be subcommittees). These include quality management systems,laboratory, processing and handling and security and transportation.
The new committee follows on the heels of a late-January report in Healthcare Packaging that asked, “Are ASTM standards the next step in full-scale public and regulatory acceptance?”
Dr. Ralph Paroli, Immediate Past Chairman of the Board and Director of R&D in Measurement Science and Standards at the National Research CouncilofCanada, says, "With its decades of experience in industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, packaging, agriculture, pesticides, and more, ASTM International is the perfect place for standards development for the cannabis industry." Paroli was voted to serve as the committee's first chairman.
A March 1 article on the ASTM announcement in theCannabist quoted Jeremy Applen, a cannabis industry consultant who focuses on regulations, product quality and product safety, saying, “I think it provides a solid foundation for the industry to develop strong, ethical (standards).”
