The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp, which the bill defined as cannabis with 0.3 percent or less of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
But distinguishing between hemp and other forms of cannabis can be difficult without the proper equipment to analyze plant samples and determine if THC levels are within acceptable limits.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas-based testing laboratory, data analytics, and formulation firm, Digipath announced that its subsidiary GroSciences had initiated the beta-testing phase of its Tru-Hemp ID kit in North Carolina and Vermont.
The Tru-Hemp ID kit differs from many other test methods in that it uses a DNA sample from a plant rather than analyzing THC content to determine the strain.
“Hemp farmers in North Carolina and Vermont were very receptive to using the Tru-Hemp ID kit,” said Digipath CSO Cindy Orser, Ph.D. “Farmers want to have the ability to definitively verify what they are buying, particularly when purchasing hemp seeds from other states or countries, or cannabis clones. It is rewarding to see our first genetic product entering a successful beta test phase. We are enthusiastic about the market opportunity and the interest from hemp farmers and hemp regulators.”
Dr. Orser has spent time with the Department of Agriculture staff in Vermont where genetic testing to distinguish between hemp and THC-rich strains of cannabis is already provided for.
In July, Digipath announced the successful in-house testing of Tru-Hemp ID and revealed plans to beta-test the kit in Vermont, New York, North Carolina Oregon, Colorado, and California.
