Ohio crime lab can now differentiate between marijuana/hemp, THC oil and CBD oil

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Thursday that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) now has the ability to measure THC content in suspected marijuana or THC oil, which previously could not be differentiated by law enforcement from hemp or CBD oil.

In a release, Yost said BCI has completed the validation of new instrumental methods for cannabis vegetation and oils, meeting new legal requirements recently established by Senate Bill 57. The quantitative analysis of a sample determines the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.

“BCI’s new ability to differentiate between marijuana and hemp creates a valuable resource for officers who depend on our laboratory services, offered at no cost to them,” Yost said. “This major achievement bolsters our reputation as the leading crime lab in the state.”

Senate Bill 57 changed the Ohio Revised Code definition of marijuana to exclude hemp, defined as cannabis containing not more than 0.3% THC as calculated on the dried weight. With this definitional change, marijuana could no longer be identified conclusively with past techniques such as microscopic examination and chemical color testing, the release said.