ASTM International and the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute have announced a memorandum of understanding to work together on standards for the cannabis industry.

ICCI is the first Europe-based partner for ASTM International’s cannabis committee, which has grown to more than 500 members worldwide in its first two years. ASTM has over 12,000 standards operating globally. Under the agreement,the committee will coordinate standards development activities for the global cannabis and hemp industry while ICCI, based in the Czech Republic, will gain benefits such as recognition of its technical contributions and free temporary membership to its members. ASTM International previously signed similar agreements with the Foundation of Cannabis Unified Standards (FOCUS), the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), and the American Trade Association of Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH).

“Many of our stakeholders – universities, companies, associations, governments, and others – are laying the foundation for the safe use and legal commerce of cannabis,” said Martin Masilko, MBA, ICCI chief operation officer. “To meet the pressing need for cannabis standards, we are pleased to be coordinating our resources and efforts with Americans for Safe Access Patient Focused Certification program into one activity under ASTM International, one of the world’s top standards organizations.”

Stakeholders involved with the two organizations say they are prioritizing a cannabis cultivation standard followed by standards related to cannabis cosmetics as well as food supplements and extracts. ICCI’s involvement will also strengthen the committee’s collaborative efforts in medicinal and laboratory-related standards too.

“ICCI’s global expertise in this fast-growing industry is well known,” said Ralph Paroli, Ph.D., the cannabis committee chairman and the director of R&D in measurement science and standards at the National Research Council of Canada. “ICCI’s engagement in this new committee will strengthen international standards development, identify gaps, prevent duplicative efforts, and more.”