Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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ASTM Standard for cleaning & disinfecting cannabis cultivation facilities, under discussion
Dr Bernie Lorenz, PhD, chief science officer at ProKure Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona, US, is leading the effort as a technical contact for a new ASTM International Standard that may revolutionise cleaning and disinfecting protocols for indoor and greenhouse cannabis cultivation facilities.
The emergence of a post-prohibition cannabis industry has begun, and with it the rapid evolution in best practices for safely growing, packing, and selling cannabis. Like food and medical safety standards before it, the cannabis industry is in tremendous need for the standardisation of cleaning and disinfection protocols to ensure consumer health and safety.
Dr Lorenz continues to peruse additional work items in ASTM Committee D37. The goal is to provide a series of ASTM standards that raise the bar in the cannabis industry and to help counter one of the most widespread needs the industry faces today: An effective, versatile, and ecologically safe solution for controlling mold, mildew, and other pests in cannabis cultivation facilities.
"We want to empower cannabis cultivations with a means to grow and sell the cleanest and safest products possible," says Dr Lorenz. "In order for these cultivations to do so, it's essential to have a proper set of protocols for cleaning and disinfecting the space where such a unique plant type grows. ASTM provides the perfect forum for bringing experts and leaders together to ensure implementation of best practices. It's my honour and privilege to be a part of the ASTM International Cannabis Committee."
ASTM Committee D37 on Cannabis was formed to develop standards for cannabis products and processes, focusing on quality and safety. Specifically, ASTM D8219-2019: Standard Guide for Cleaning and Disinfection at a Cannabis Cultivation Center, addresses:
* optimal cleaning protocols
* fungal monitoring techniques
* disinfectant recommendations including chlorine dioxide in both liquid and gas formulations
"It's great to see when members realise they are empowered to shape the content of standards that will have a positive impact on their industries," says Bob Morgan, director of technical committee operations at ASTM International.
ASTM International has led major advancements in the industries of medicine, agriculture, water purification and more with its public standards for compliance and protocols.
This latest protocol focusing on cleaning and disinfection in a cannabis greenhouse or indoor cultivation is a monumental foreshadowing of where the industry is going, and how one of the biggest challenges for greenhouse and indoor cultivators can now be managed without compromising plant health, buyer health or experience, or regulation testing results.
ProKure says it has revolutionised the world of chlorine dioxide (ClO2). Utilising a patented water-activated pouch technology, cultivation professionals can safely and cost effectively produce any quantity of ClO2 on-site in both gas and liquid forms. The ProKure product line consists of:
ProKure V Liquid (EPA Reg.87508-3-89334)
ProKure G Fast Gas (EPA Reg.87508-2-89334)
ProKure D Extended Release Gas.
17th January 2019