Journal Published Online: 01 November 2024
Volume 52, Issue 6

Editorial: Special Section on Contaminants in the Cannabis and Hemp Industry and Their Impact on Consumer Safety

CODEN: JTEVAB

Abstract

This Special Section of the ASTM International Journal of Testing and Evaluation is composed of nine papers presented at the 2nd Global Symposium on Contaminants in the Cannabis and Hemp Industry and Their Impact on Consumer Safety that was sponsored by ASTM Technical Committee D37 on Cannabis and took place on October 10–12, 2023. The ASTM 2023 Global Symposium was coordinated and organized by the dedicated staff at ASTM including Jimmy Farrel, Kelly Dennison, and Tammy Schayne, with the event being co-chaired by Robert Thomas, CSci, CChem, FRSC, and Cary Black, ASQ CQE, PCQI, ASTM Fellow. The symposium was organized into daily themes covering:

  • Elemental Impurities

  • Pesticides

  • Microbials

  • Other Contaminants of Interest

Researchers, scientists, and engineers from different countries attended, presenting and discussing ideas on a wide range of topics related to cannabis contaminants. The event provided a forum for evaluating the current evidence and gaps regarding the presence and measurements of contaminants that pose a risk to consumer health and safety in cannabis and hemp products, with a focus on evaluating the sources of contamination (including cultivation, plant uptake, extraction, processing, manufacturing, packaging, and delivery, etc.) and how they can be mitigated. The event made it possible to share and contribute to knowledge, allowing for the development of increasingly innovative and sustainable solutions to facilitate and foster a greater understanding of the issues associated with cannabis as well as provide current strategies in detection. The papers presented from this symposium were all peer reviewed following the high standards of the Journal of Testing and Evaluation. All nine papers in this special section can provide a repository of current research outcomes and state-of-the-practice case studies on topics as they relate to cannabis contaminants. The papers include work relative to elemental contaminants, fungal contaminants, general microbials, pesticides, risk management-driven mitigation strategies, public education through marketing, existing contaminant trends, and currently practiced test methods for the detection of various contaminants. The information presented here will provide a foundation for the development of standards and specifications related to conducting risk assessments, based on common sources of contamination in the cannabis/hemp industries, to enable sound approaches for the identification and mitigation of contaminants.

Author Information

Black, Cary
CK Black Group, Inc., Chalmette, LA, USA
Thomas, Robert
Chemistry Department, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA Scientific Solutions, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Pages: 2
Price: $25.00
Related
Reprints and Permissions
Reprints and copyright permissions can be requested through the
Copyright Clearance Center
Details
Stock #: JTE20240999
ISSN: 0090-3973
DOI: 10.1520/JTE20240999