1. Scope

This specification establishes risk-based, recommended risk levels for pesticide residues in cannabinoid-containing extracts intended for inhalation, including those derived from cannabis and hemp.

The specification provides numerical risk levels for an initial set of prioritized pesticides with provisions for future expansion as additional pesticides are detected or requested.

The numerical risk levels reported in this standard can be updated as new toxicological data become available.

This standard details the scientific methodology used to derive these risk levels, including the evaluation of toxicological data, relevant endpoints, hazard identification, dose-response assessment, human reference concentrations, exposure estimation, and uncertainty analysis specifically adapted for inhalation exposure pathways and cannabinoid-containing extracts.

This standard is intended to provide regulators, testing laboratories, and industry stakeholders with scientifically defensible risk levels for pesticides specific to inhaled cannabinoid-containing extracts.

Keywords

risk assessment; action limit; action level; contaminant limit; cannabis extract; hemp extract; cannabis concentrate; hemp concentrate; marijuana

Rationale

Current pesticide limits for cannabis products lack inhalation-specific scientific justification, resulting in inconsistent regulatory requirements across jurisdictions. Most existing limits are derived from ingestion-based data or analytical detection capabilities, not human health effects.

This standard addresses this critical gap by establishing science-based pesticide risk levels specifically for inhaled cannabinoid extracts. It provides numerical thresholds for priority pesticides with a framework for future expansion as additional pesticides are detected or requested.

Developed through collaboration among toxicologists, analytical chemists, and industry stakeholders, this standard adapts established risk assessment principles to the unique context of inhaled cannabinoid-containing extract products. It builds upon approaches from the tobacco sector, existing cannabis programs, and international health agencies.

The standard's methodology incorporates hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure estimation, and uncertainty analysis to derive defensible risk levels of pesticide residues that prioritize consumer safety while remaining practically implementable.

By providing regulators, laboratories, and industry with scientifically justified risk levels, this standard advances both public health protection and regulatory harmonization in an area that has historically lacked standardized approaches.

The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.