It is a slow workday, one of your officers conducts a traffic stop on a rental commercial truck. They radio back to dispatch that the truck is filled with freshly pulled marijuana plants. The Police Chief overhears the radio call; the Chief immediately calls you, and they start telling you that they want to do a big PR splash. The Chief calls the department public information officer and sets up a big photoshoot covering the seizure and the driver’s arrest. There is a big splash on the news and social media, BUT the next day the driver is released with no charges, and weeks later, the department is served with a civil suit by the driver and the driver’s company. What happened here? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Marijuana laws of 2021.
Tetrahydrocannabinol versus Cannabidiol or commonly known as THC versus CBD. Both are some of the main compounds found in Cannabis Sativa; from Cannabis Sativa, we get Cannabis and Hemp. Cannabis has psychoactive properties that cause intoxicating effects, and Hemp provides non-intoxicating effects and has industrial uses. We are not here to discuss the uses of CBD versus THC, but we are concerned about how to tell the difference between THC and CBD. Why are we interested in this? For legal reasons? For Safety reasons? Partially both.
The Farm Bill of 2018 removed Hemp and other derivatives of Cannabis Sativa containing low amounts of THC on a dry weight percentage of .3% from the definition of Marijuana classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance as defined by the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 (CSA). Marijuana is considered a schedule 1 controlled substance federally, but many states have legalized its uses, creating a patchwork of legal issues across the United States.
Unless you are highly trained, attempting to tell the difference between Hemp and Marijuana is tough. Utilizing a traditional drug colorimetric test kit that indicates the presence of THC will hit on both. What is available to law enforcement to provide a quick and accurate test result? The DetectaChem CBD/THC test kit does that and more.
The DetectaChem MobileDetect DCT test kit is a colorimetric test kit that allows the user to test whether a product contains CBD, THC, or a hybrid of both and indicates if the THC content is greater than .3%. This product can test hemp, Edibles, tinctures, vape cartridges, marijuana, and other cannabis-derived products. Unlike your traditional colorimetric presumptive test kits, the DetectaChem CBD/THC test kit is supported by the optional free MobileDetect App for Apple and Android products that gives the user the capability to document the test for probable cause, document the item tested, and has the capability to produce a report that can be texted or emailed by the user to their agency.