Near-infrared spectroscopy, image analysis and advanced data analytics are combined to accurately distinguish within minutes between hemp and cannabis.
GemmaCert has unveiled the first presumptive field test in the United States to effectively detect the percentage of THC present in cannabis, as low as 0.2%, to accurately distinguish within minutes between hemp and cannabis.
GemmaCert’s technology combines near-infrared spectroscopy, image analysis and advanced data analytics.
With the ability to detect THC levels as low as 0.2%, growers can effectively track their crop and harvest just-in-time to avoid collecting “hot” hemp (Any plant material with THC above 0.3% remains illegal under federal law and must be destroyed).
Text continues underneath image
“Our potency testing kit with the latest hemp analytical upgrade is a must-have tool for hemp farming and transportation in the era of legalisation,” says GemmaCert’s CEO, Dr. Guy Setton.
GemmaCert customers received an over-the-air upgrade enabling their devices to distinguish between hemp and cannabis. New customers will receive the capability pre-installed.
Hemp CBD industry booming
The hemp CBD industry in the United States has been growing exponentially since the 2018 Farm Bill legalised hemp as having less than 0.3% THC (the active ingredient in cannabis producing the high sensation). According to New Frontier Data, the CBD market in the U.S. will triple in size from US$ 390 million in 2018 to US$ 1.3 billion by 2022.
According to the USDA, farmers more than quadrupled the land planted with hemp from 27,424 acres in 2018 to 128,320 in 2019.