Within the framework of the Program for the Development and Production of Certified Reference Materials, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) developed the certified reference material (hereinafter “CRM”) of one of the main secondary metabolites of the cannabis plant: cannabidiol or CBD, used both for medicinal products and in the global food industry, with the purpose of facilitating access by the public and private sector, which is currently limited because it is an internationally controlled substance.
The aim of the MRC is to allow local laboratories to quantify cannabinoids (bioactive molecules present in the inflorescences of the Cannabis sativa L plant), replacing imports and also contributing to the improvement of the accuracy and metrological quality of measurements, to enable traceability and greater quality control of industrial products derived from cannabis and hemp.
In addition, INTI developed the MRC for Tetrahydrocannabinol (hereinafter “THC”), the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, in early 2022. Currently, ten laboratories from different regions of the country belonging to the Argentine Network of Medicinal Cannabis (RACME) use the Certified Reference Materials (CRM) of THC produced by INTI, which were the first in Latin America.
This in the regulatory context of the Medical Cannabis Law No. 27,350, enacted in 2017, which established the regulatory framework for medical and scientific research on the medicinal, therapeutic and/or pain relief use of the cannabis plant and its complementary enacted in May 2022, Law No. 27,669 for the national development of the medical cannabis and industrial hemp industry, which is not yet regulated.
Throughout 2023, the production of other CRMs is expected to be completed, such as THCa and CBDa, after which the first cannabinoid interlaboratory test will be organized through the Argentine Interlaboratory Service (SAI).
This report should not be considered as legal or any other type of advice by Allende & Brea.
