ASTM International and the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC) have signed cannabis industry certification licensing agreements.
ASTM International indicated the organization is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental entity developing voluntary consensus standards while deferring to government authorities to determine the legal and regulatory framework related to cannabis control and use.
Additionally, ICONTEC is the Colombian national standards body and oversees the compliance of national and international standards in Colombia.
The agreement stipulates ASTM International will allow the use of its CANNQ/HEMPQ certification program for cultivators, as well as the organization’s Certification Mark, while ICONTEC will enable the use of its Certification Good Agricultural Practices in Cannabis (BPARC).
“The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI), an affiliate of ASTM International, is excited to partner with ICONTEC to provide the cannabis industry with a global certification program using the ASTM certification mark,” SEI Director of Certification Operations Tricia Hock said. “Bringing aspects of ICONTEC’s cannabis program under the ASTM CANNQ/HEMPQ program will help harmonize the industry and provide global recognition with the ASTM brand.”
ASTM and ICONTEC have collaborated on cannabis work since 2020, the entities said. ICONTEC has adopted several standards developed by ASTM’s cannabis committee (D37) or has used D37 standards as the basis for their national standards.
“Since last year, we identified a new opportunity for expanding our cooperation, formerly focused on standards, to the field of certification, integrating the Safety Equipment Institute, ASTM’s ally in conformity assessment issues, to the work team,” ICONTEC Executive Director Roberto Montoya said. “Together, we recognize the great growth and dynamism of the cannabis industry, and we see that we can contribute to this growth the concepts of quality, safety, and sustainability.”