Federal Research Grants Target Hemp Vape Testing and Hemp–Marijuana Identification
Two 2024 grants from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) commit a combined $516,763 to improving the analysis of hemp-derived vape products and distinguishing hemp from marijuana in forensic samples.
The awards support measurement science rather than a clinical safety study. Their central goals are to determine what these products contain, evaluate whether labels accurately describe their contents, and develop more reliable laboratory methods for applying the legal distinction between hemp and marijuana.
Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is defined as cannabis and its derivatives containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis. The law’s focus on delta-9 THC has contributed to continuing questions about products containing other intoxicating cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC. The Congressional Research Service has documented the resulting legal disputes and the spread of products sometimes described as “intoxicating hemp.”
The larger of the two awards—$300,000 to the National Institute of Standards and Technology—supports a project titled “Quantitative Evaluation of Hemp-Derived Vape Products for Accurate Labeling, Identification of Unknowns, and Stability.” NIST plans to examine the chemical composition of commercially available hemp-derived vape products, assess label accuracy, identify unknown components and study how the products change during storage.
That work could provide policymakers, public-health officials, toxicologists and forensic laboratories with more consistent data about cannabinoid concentrations and product contents. It is not designed to establish that a particular product is safe or unsafe on its own. Instead, it addresses the measurement and quality-control problems that make those evaluations more difficult.
NIST has already developed infrastructure for this type of work through its Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance Program, known as CannaQAP. The program has helped laboratories compare results for cannabinoids, moisture and toxic elements in cannabis materials. NIST reported the results of one 2024 cannabinoid exercise in its CannaQAP Exercise 2 final report.
The second award, $216,763 to Sam Houston State University, supports “Differentiation of Hemp and Marijuana Through Ion Complexation with Copper Phosphine Complexes.” The project is intended to develop analytical methods that can help laboratories examine seized vape products and other samples in cases where the legal classification depends on THC content.
The university’s approach uses ion complexation and mass spectrometry to distinguish related cannabinoid molecules. The grant description identifies semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis as objectives, including work involving delta-9 THC and positional isomers. If validated, such methods could give forensic laboratories another tool for analyzing complex vape liquids and determining whether a sample falls above or below the applicable threshold.
The distinction is challenging because hemp and marijuana are not separate species. They are varieties of Cannabis sativa, and their chemical profiles can overlap. In addition, some hemp-derived products contain cannabinoids that may be intoxicating even when delta-9 THC remains below the federal hemp threshold. The Food and Drug Administration’s consumer guidance on delta-8 THC notes concerns about inconsistent formulations, labeling, manufacturing practices and potentially harmful contaminants.
Together, the NIJ-funded projects address two related gaps: what hemp-derived vape products contain and how laboratories can reliably classify cannabis-related evidence. The awards will not resolve the broader federal and state policy disputes surrounding intoxicating hemp products, but they may provide better analytical data for regulators, courts, law-enforcement agencies and consumers.
