May 19, 2022

On May 17, ASTM International and the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC) signed a licensing agreement related to certifications for the cannabis industry.

Per the new agreement, ASTM International will allow use of its CANNQ/HEMPQ certification program for cultivators, as well as ASTM’s Certification Mark, while ICONTEC will allow use of its Certification Good Agricultural Practices in Cannabis (BPARC).

ICONTEC is the Colombian national standards body and also oversees the compliance of national and international standards in Colombia. ICONTEC and ASTM International signed a memorandum of understanding in 2001, making their partnership the oldest in ASTM’s MoU program.

ASTM and ICONTEC have been collaborating on cannabis work since 2020. ICONTEC has adopted several standards developed by ASTM’s cannabis committee (D37) or has used D37 standards as the basis for their own national standards. ASTM and ICONTEC co-hosted a successful cannabis webinar for Latin America in April 2021 with 100 participants from 14 countries.  

“The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI), an affiliate of ASTM International, is excited to partner with ICONTEC to provide the cannabis industry with a global certification program using the ASTM certification mark,” says Tricia Hock, director of certification operations at SEI. “Bringing aspects of ICONTEC’s cannabis program under the ASTM CANNQ/HEMPQ program will help harmonize the industry and provide global recognition with the ASTM brand.”

Roberto Montoya, executive director, ICONTEC, said, “Since last year we identified a new opportunity for expanding our cooperation, formerly focused on standards, to the field of certification, integrating the Safety Equipment Institute, ASTM's ally in conformity assessment issues, to the work team. Together we recognize the great growth and dynamism of the cannabis industry, and we see that we can contribute to this growth the concepts of quality, safety, and sustainability.”

To learn more about ASTM’s cannabis committee and related services, visit www.astmcannabis.org.

ASTM International is a not-for-profit nongovernmental organization that develops voluntary consensus standards and defers to appropriate government authorities to determine the legal and regulatory framework regarding the control and use of cannabis.
 
Media Inquiries: Dan Bergels, tel +1.610.832.9602; dbergels@astm.org
    
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