SwabTek™ being deployed to identify Hemp vs. Marijuana

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SwabTek^TM is introducing the third installment in the new generation of SwabTek test kits, a real-time test for THC. The test was designed to meet the demand of law enforcement organizations to be able to discern between hemp and marijuana while in the field. The THC test kit is the latest entry in SwabTek's portfolio of industry-leading tools for explosives and narcotics detection.

The SwabTek THC test kit is designed to be used in analyzing the concentration of Total THC present in a given sample. THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis, and its concentration marks the difference between hemp (<0.3%) and marijuana (>0.3%). If a sample is suspected of containing THC, SwabTek's test can be used to presumptively indicate its presence and its concentration. The test can be used on both plant material and cannabis extracts such as oils, creams, and gels.

Like all of SwabTek's tests, the THC test relies on color chemistry. The color produced by the test's reaction is matched by the user to a reference gradient with corresponding THC concentrations. The color match allows the user to presumptively identify the THC concentration from 0.0% to upwards of 30%. The test is particularly sensitive to THC around the 0.3% concentration threshold defined as the difference between hemp and marijuana by the 2018 Farm Bill.

Many local enforcement agencies have already deployed SwabTek's THC test with great results, and multiple state forensic laboratories have evaluated the test and approved it for use by their state police forces. The test has been successfully adopted as both a standalone test, and as a complimentary test for use in conjunction with the SwabTek Cannabis Test Kit.

Interest in the test has also been demonstrated by the private sector. The test provides a simple and inexpensive tool to commercial and recreational cannabis growers to monitor THC development in their crops.

SwabTek's THC test kit is available to order now at swabtek.com/collections/kits. To learn more about the THC test kit, or any other SwabTek product, visit swabtek.com/resources.

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SOURCE SwabTek