The cannabis standards landscape is spread across many organizations at once, each advancing work on testing methods, performance criteria, product safety, research, and quality systems. That activity is necessary, but it is difficult for any single stakeholder to track what is underway, where efforts overlap, and where technical gaps remain. Without visibility into each other's work, organizations can unknowingly duplicate effort, miss useful resources, or develop guidance that would have been stronger through coordination.
The Scientific and Technical Liaisons Group (STLG) operates within the S3 Collective's Standards Action Committee to document and share ongoing and recent research and standards activities across standard-setting and research institutions. For background on why the group was formed, see Purpose of the Scientific and Technical Liaisons Group (STLG).
This is the Q2 2026 update. The sections below are reported by the participating organizations themselves, and each one summarizes current projects, recent progress, technical needs, and opportunities for coordination.
If your organization would like to take part in this knowledge-sharing effort, email [email protected] and a member of the Committee will get in touch.
ACIL Cannabis Working Group
The ACIL Cannabis and Hemp Working Group operates within the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), an 87-year-old trade association representing independent scientific and testing laboratories across the U.S. The group focuses on improving cannabis and hemp testing through standards development, technical research, and regulatory education.
Major initiatives and updates
- In manuscript preparation: a multi-state, multi-lab round-robin study evaluating potency results and inter-laboratory variance.
- Completed draft guidance, developed with ANAB, A2LA, and PJLA, clarifying accreditation body roles, limitations, and opportunities for improved regulator coordination.
Needs and opportunities for collaboration
ACIL's 2026 Annual Meeting will be held in San Francisco, California, November 10–12, 2026. ACIL is seeking speakers, including regulators, accreditation bodies, laboratories, and technical experts working on cannabis and hemp testing.
ACS-CANN
CANN (Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision) operates within the American Chemical Society (ACS), a scientific society dedicated to advancing chemistry and supporting the broader scientific community. CANN focuses on fostering collaboration among cannabis scientists and professionals, advancing cannabis chemistry research, and promoting scientific integrity and innovation in the field.
Major initiatives and updates
- Preparing publications on cannabis testing and semi-synthetic cannabinoids.
- Hosting monthly journal clubs that are open to the public.
- Partnered with CannMed and the National Cannabis Research Conference.
- Publication of "Mycotoxin Trends of Cannabis Compliance Testing in Cannabis Flower and Concentrates in the United States" in Clinical Therapeutics.
- Developing an ACS eBook and a Convergent Chemistry Community (CCC) grant proposal.
Currently seeking
Authors to publish a chapter on Chemistry and Law.
Needs and opportunities for collaboration
- Accepting topics for Spring 2027 programming, and seeking divisions interested in participating in the CCC Grant Summit in Spring 2027.
- Hosting a session at the National Cannabis Research Conference in San Diego, California, October 19–21, 2026.
AHPA
Founded in 1982, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry. AHPA is made up of more than 350 member companies, consisting primarily of domestic and foreign companies doing business as growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbs and herbal products as foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and non-prescription drugs, and also including companies that provide expert services to the herbal trade.
Major initiatives and updates
- Engaging with federal policymakers, industry stakeholders, and scientific experts on hemp-derived cannabinoid regulation. The focus is on legislative proposals to establish clearer definitions for full-spectrum hemp products, including cannabinoid ratio requirements, milligram-based thresholds, and potential pathways for dietary supplement regulation.
- Monitoring and providing industry input on hemp policy discussions involving Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Andy Barr.
- The Cannabinoid Research Task Group has been formed to support three topics: safety and toxicology, intoxication and impairment, and therapeutic considerations.
Needs and opportunities for collaboration
- Additional scientific data, toxicology information, manufacturing expertise, market impact assessments, and regulatory perspectives are valuable to support evidence-based policymaking.
- Collaboration among industry, researchers, trade organizations, and policymakers remains important as federal hemp regulations continue to evolve. Organizations and individuals interested in participating in AHPA hemp policy initiatives are encouraged to engage through AHPA working groups, policy committees, and member communications to stay informed and contribute expertise to ongoing regulatory discussions.
ASTM International Standards Committee D37
ASTM's Committee D37 on Cannabis and Hemp operates within ASTM International, a global standards development organization that brings together industry, regulators, and technical experts to develop voluntary consensus standards. Committee D37 focuses on developing standards for cannabis and hemp, including laboratory testing, cultivation, processing, quality, and regulatory support, to promote consistency, safety, and technical rigor across the industry.
Major initiatives and updates
- ASTM D37 concluded the June Committee Week, where stakeholders from around the world convened to discuss active standards and challenges associated with standards in development.
- A Standard Technical Paper is to be released on challenges related to the analysis of elemental impurities of aerosols produced by cannabinoid vape products, in collaboration with CDC. September 2026 release in ASTM's flagship Journal of Testing and Evaluation.
- A major terminology harmonization effort to reduce redundancy, improve consistency, and improve marketplace understanding.
- A dedicated subcommittee has been formed to create and maintain standards related to health and wellness applications of cannabis and hemp products. The subcommittee will be led by the European Medical Cannabis Association, and June was its first meeting.
Needs and opportunities for collaboration
ASTM D37's next Committee Week will be in February 2027 in New Orleans.
CSQ (Cannabis Safety and Quality)
Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ) is a global cannabis and hemp safety and quality certification program launched in 2019 to promote industry best practices and improve the overall safety, quality, and risk management of cannabis, hemp, and cannabinoid products from seed to sale. CSQ develops and maintains accredited, internationally-aligned safety and quality management standards and certification schemes based on ASTM, ISO, cGMP/cGACP, and other recognized frameworks, helping operators minimize risk, protect their brands, and meet regulatory and market requirements across cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, retail, and distribution.
Major initiatives and updates
- CSQ EU-GMP Addendum: the public comment period has closed, with a Q3/Q4 2026 release date planned. It is designed for licensees looking to export to Europe.
- CSQ CLEAR Program: a pilot laboratory assessment program is in the works and planned for a leading US market in Q4 2026.
- CSQ Laboratory: standards are in development that build on ISO/IEC 17025 and add GLP, HACCP, and other QMS elements.
Currently seeking
Auditors in Europe familiar with EudraLex Volume 4, Parts 1 and 2, and Annex 7, to perform CSQ audits to the CSQ EU-GMP Addendum.
S3 Collective
S3 Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on advancing the cannabis, hemp, and botanical products industries by converging scientific research, standards development, and public safety. The Collective brings together experts from science, industry, and policy to promote collaboration, education, and the creation of objective, globally relevant frameworks that improve quality, consistency, and safety in cannabinoid-containing products.
Major initiatives and updates
- Scientific advisor Dr. Tony Ferrari was awarded seed funding to investigate the "IND-Enabling Cannabinoid Health Outcomes Platform for Multi-Site Clinical Evaluation," an initiative announced at the Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Symposium at US Pharmacopeia headquarters in May 2026. More details on the symposium are available here.
- S3 was funded to commission a research study to evaluate the ASTM D8441 International Intoxicating Cannabinoid Product Symbol, a standard developed through the internationally accredited consensus process to clearly and consistently communicate risk to consumers. As part of the study, a consumer survey will be conducted through the National Opinion Research Center (NORC at the University of Chicago) in collaboration with the Cannabis Policy Institute at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Doctors for Drug Policy Reform. Initial findings should be available in Q4 2026, with a peer-reviewed paper intended for publication in 2027.
- Educational webinar series: S3 hosts a monthly free webinar focusing on the latest medical cannabis harmonization work to advance patient safety, in partnership with Leaf 411.
Currently seeking
Academic researchers and professors focusing on cannabis, cannabinoid, and hemp subjects.
USP
The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is an independent, non-profit scientific organization that sets quality, purity, strength, and identity standards for medicines, dietary supplements, and food ingredients. Established in 1820, its standards are recognized globally and are legally enforceable in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Major initiatives and updates
- USP is developing a cannabis and hemp extracts method using GC-FID and LC-MS/MS.
Needs and opportunities for collaboration
Interested parties can provide comments when USP releases the draft cannabis and hemp extracts method.
Closing
Thank you to the organizations and individuals contributing to this effort. Standards work is often slow, technical, and spread across many different groups. Better coordination will not solve every problem, but it can reduce wasted effort and help important work move faster.
Please share updates, active projects, resource needs, and opportunities for collaboration for inclusion in future STLG updates. Email [email protected].