1. Scope

Keywords

Rationale

Current pesticide limits for cannabis products lack inhalation-specific scientific justification, resulting in inconsistent regulatory requirements across jurisdictions. Most existing limits are derived from ingestion-based data or analytical detection capabilities, not human health effects. This standard addresses this critical gap by establishing science-based pesticide risk levels specifically for inhaled cannabinoid extracts. It provides numerical thresholds for priority pesticides with a framework for future expansion as additional pesticides are detected or requested. Developed through collaboration among toxicologists, analytical chemists, and industry stakeholders, this standard adapts established risk assessment principles to the unique context of inhaled cannabinoid-containing extract products. It builds upon approaches from the tobacco sector, existing cannabis programs, and international health agencies. The standard's methodology incorporates hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure estimation, and uncertainty analysis to derive defensible risk levels of pesticide residues that prioritize consumer safety while remaining practically implementable. By providing regulators, laboratories, and industry with scientifically justified risk levels, this standard advances both public health protection and regulatory harmonization in an area that has historically lacked standardized approaches.