The Importance of Standardizing Cannabis Products

Presented by ASA CSO Jahan Marcu, Ph.D. As part of a virtual symposium on cannabis testing. There needs to be standards, regulations, and traceability. Such responsibility is deeply imprinted in the botanical medicine and herbal product industries; Good Manufacturing Practices (or any GxP) are the same across industry and jurisdictional boundaries. At the state-level there has been a proliferation of policies and laws that relax cannabidiol issues, while operators and producers are voluntarily adopting good practices. However, a national policy must be adopted or the states will take on the responsibility of regulating cannabidiol across the country. For example, at least 20 state based programs have adopted nearly identical regulatory requirements for medical cannabis products, these regulations were derived from best practices, developed through a voluntary consensus process, which took years to complete. As these policies are promulgated, insurance companies will be more involved, offering product liability insurance, ensuring effective recall programs and accountability.