Found this resource and happy to see so many people from the booming industry. I am trying to see if there is interest in handheld inexpensive portable device to distinguish between hemp and marijuana flowers/plants. We are working on a battery operated unit which will most likely cost less than $1,500 and can distinguish between hemp and marijuana under 3 minutes. This is not NIR or chromatography approach. We are targeting growers, processors, wholesale buyers, individuals and law enforcement.
There were several cases recently when police arrested people for felony quantities of marijuana, which upon testing in the lab proved to me hemp (big lawsuit I guess is pending).
what benefits does your device have over the already existing “swiss test” blue red reagent tests? the device would have to be quite durable to be cost effective
The unit will tell you if it is marijuana or hemp plant. In some cases it can be inconclusive if you take sample of hemp and sample of marijuana and mix it. or if somebody will grow hemp with a lot of THCA (more than 20-25%) You will confuse the unit. It will not tell you how much exactly (quantitation/potency analysis) THCA or CBDA you have. You will need to do HPLC or any other analytical technique suitable for potency analysis.
Marijuana and hemp have different definitions in different countries. You’re going to have to be more specific about which definition you’re referencing and explain the probability of the following outcomes:
True positive
True negative
False positive
False negative
You will have a computer record in the cloud with comprehensive database collected from all instruments. We are collecting data on different strains of hemp to see how robust the approach is.
From a biological standpoint, Hemp and marijuana are merely different cultivars of cannabis…
If you’re handing this to LEOs, you’ll need to come close to the legal definition…which as @Dirteagle points out is not consistent across jurisdictions.
“Hemp” with more than 20% THC?
Show me a legal definition where even 2% thc qualifies as hemp.
Hmm 1 vail of liquid also does this trick
And any herb you find with 20-25%thc-a and still is a cbd strain so >20-25%cbd-a you can sell me the seeds for the same price as the unit
In my opinion in couple of years genetics might be able to create strains with more of some active cannabinoids and less for others. Companies making tomatoes which does not rot for weeks/months , if they put some efforts into genetically modified cannabis, I am sure they can create strains with 1:1 CBDA/THCA, or may be more of other cannabinoids (CBDV, CBG, CBC, THCV etc.). Money are flowing in, it is matter of time for scientists to make something GM>
I hope it s treu but not gm
But old skool breeding we got to 34% tac so those missing 15% we will get eventualy (polyploids)
But what use is your unit then ?
How are you validating this approach? Where is the record of the observation? Our device will generate an analysis report as well as compare it to the existing strains and keep the record in the cloud for any possible legal or other issues.
absolutely no way your device would be any more admissible in court any more than the reagent test i linked. Also “in the cloud” just means someone else’s computer. What happens to those features when your company goes out of business or stops supporting those features?
But without traceable standards that the various states accept, I don’t know how you would prevent nthe situation you describe. The best it provides is assurance on pick up/delivery that you aren’t transporting straight cannabis.
, if they put some efforts into genetically modified cannabis, I am sure they can create strains with 1:1 CBDA/THCA, or may be more of other cannabinoids (CBDV, CBG, CBC, THCV etc.). Money are flowing in, it is matter of time for scientists to make something GM>