A2LA and NIHC Join Forces to Establish Groundbreaking Accreditation Program for Cannabis and Hemp Testing Laboratories

Recently, the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and the National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) have announced a partnership which will create a joint recognition program that will benefit cannabis and hemp testing laboratories within the US (1). This new course will be recognized by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), which is the international organization for accreditation bodies.

“A2LA is very pleased to partner with NIHC to set and raise the bar for quality and technical competence of hemp testing laboratories to the NIHC stakeholders,” said Trace McInturff, Vice President of Accreditation Services, A2LA (1). “This is truly a unique program that offers hemp labs recognition from both of these important organizations, which will inspire confidence in the quality of their test results while ensuring consumer safety.”

For scientific institutions such as, laboratories, accreditation is a necessity for creditability. As mentioned in A2LA’s press release (1), accreditation is seen as “an indicator of the quality and competence of an organization, based on international standards, and is the most appropriate way to ensure an organization’s competence in performing a specified task. Through accreditation, customers, clients, and stakeholders gain confidence and assurance in the validity of test results.”

A2LA and NIHC’s partnership is announced in a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which mentions the specifics of the join accreditation program. The requirements used for the program will be from ISO/IEC 17025. This is a global standard known for calibration and testing laboratories.

“NIHC is excited to work side-by-side with the experts at A2LA in this collaborative effort to offer our members new avenues for accreditation, especially at this critical time when lab reliability is at the forefront of product quality,” said Patrick Atagi, President, NIHC (1). “A2LA has a long history of facilitating safety through accreditation, and the NIHC team is proud to be a part of this safety-driven cooperation.”

A2LA is a 501(c)3 organization, as well as an ILAC MRA signatory provider of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, and several other related ISO and ISO/IEC standards (1). NIHC is a 501(c)6 organization, which advocates for international and domestic regulatory structure which will help streamline trade, strengthen innovation throughout the hemp industry, and encourage consumer confidence.

“The success of complex laboratory testing operations often depends upon the standards set and implemented within those labs,” said Lakshmy Mahon, Executive VP, NIHC Programs (1). “This cooperation with A2LA allows NIHC to provide the hemp market with a much-needed program geared towards consumer safety, reliability, and quality. A2LA has a deep understanding of the global market, and we hope to make this program prolific on an international scale.”

To achieve accreditation, cannabis and hemp testing laboratories will need to become a NIHC member, submit an application to A2LA, undergo an assessment, and correct any deficiencies that arise (1). For more information, please visit: https://a2la.org/accreditation/hemp-cannabis-recognition-program/.

Reference

1. A2LA Announces Partnership with NIHC https://a2la.org/a2la-nihc-partnership/ (accessed Oct 4, 2023).