ANSI Expands Cannabis-Related Activities

ANSI is expanding its cannabis-related standards and conformity assessment activities to foster
health, safety, and quality. 

In support of its mission to further voluntary standards and conformity assessment activities as a means of enhancing public health, safety, welfare, and the environment, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and ANAB, announced their intent to strengthen, reinforce, and expand their respective accreditation activities in areas relating to cannabis and cannabis-related products.

In keeping with legal guidelines adopted by the ANSI Executive Committee of the Board of Directors on July 24, 2019, ANSI’s activities will include accrediting qualifying standards developing organizations (SDOs) and approving SDOs’ cannabis-related standards that qualify as American National Standards (ANS). Such standards may address, for example, indoor air quality in marijuana grow operations or standards for the remediation of illicit drugs.

ANAB has provided accreditation services for cannabis-related products since 2014, and building upon this significant technical experience, it will continue accrediting qualifying testing laboratories, proficiency test providers, certification bodies, and the like.  

“The legal cannabis market is incredibly complex, and undoubtedly growing, prompting the need for effective voluntary standards and conformity assessment activities to support health, safety, environmental protection, and supply chain quality,” ANSI president and CEO S. Joe Bhatia said. “ANSI has a responsibility to facilitate the accreditation and standardization solutions required to promote safety in conjunction with this growing industry, while strictly complying with all applicable Federal and State laws.”

ANSI is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations.

The Institute represents and serves the diverse interests of more than 270,000 companies and organizations and 30 million professionals worldwide. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.