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by Bethany Moore, Director of Content Strategy and Market Growth, and David Vaillencourt, CEO and Founder at The GMP Collective
[Excerpt from Cannabis Industry Journal]
In the realm of consumer safety, minimum standards form a critical safety net that allows businesses and regulators alike with necessary guidelines. From our food and medicines, railroad tracks to bicycle helmets, crayons to cribs, standards are everywhere. Knowing where the lanes are and how to move inside of them provides the structure needed to guide manufacturers forward. And the cannabis and hemp industry is no exception. Why would it be?
In this series of articles, we will explore specific ASTM International standards that have already been developed and published by its Committee on Cannabis (commonly referred to by its Committee designation number – D37). With a frustrating lack of federal clarity, states are increasingly adopting these standards directly into their rules — and for good reason! These standards have gone through an extensive and rigorous process of achieving consensus, adhering to the principles set out by the World Trade Organization to reduce technical barriers to trade. These principles cover openness, balance, and transparency, and are one of many reasons why ASTM standards are confidently adopted into regulations by the US Federal Government. It is no wonder state regulators are increasingly leaning into those standards with confidence when creating rules and regulations for operators in the cannabis industry.
There are numerous benefits to standards adoption, including taking the guesswork out of the “how,” and streamlining operations, particularly when companies wish to scale up and expand. To provide color and context to the fuzzy world of standards, we will include insights from ASTM committee members who were involved in the hands-on process of standards development, including Kim Stuck of Allay Consulting, Dr. David Nathan of D4DPR (Doctors For Drug Policy Reform), and Dr. John DeVries.
