Standardization News

Members of ASTM International’s cannabis committee (D37) have proposed a new standard aimed at helping prepare land used for cannabis cultivation for cannabidiol (CBD) extraction (WK68531). This standard will cover soil conditions and testing, necessary equipment and tools, and the impact of groundwater levels.

“Creating a standard to ensure land is properly prepared for the cultivation of hemp is essential,” according to Dustin Robinson, founding partner of Mr. Cannabis Law and ASTM International member. “As the cannabis industry grows, new standards are necessary to provide best practices regarding the growth and extraction of CBD.”

Robinson notes the current lack of standard practices is leading to confusion in the marketplace, loss of crops by farmers, and dangerous chemical spraying on farms.

He said the proposed standard could help farmers, farm equipment manufacturers, CBD processors and retailers, states and municipalities, enforcement agencies, commercial real estate stakeholders, and companies looking for suitable land for cannabis cultivation and CBD extraction. 

The subcommittee on indoor and outdoor horticulture and agriculture (D37.01) is seekinghelp in developing this standard from government agricultural departments at all levels, universities involved in hemp research, and farmers interested in growing cannabis for CBD extraction. 

For more information on ASTM International’s cannabis committee, please watch this video.

Become a member of ASTM. The next meeting of the ASTM International committee on cannabis is February 22, 2020, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Georgia, USA. If interested in helping develop this standard, please contact Dustin Robinson at drobinson@mrcannabislaw.com.