Marijuana poses many challenges for researchers, law enforcement, and policy makers, challenges that fall into two fields: drug chemistry and toxicology. NIJ scientist Dr. Frances Scott joins this episode to explain the complications in drug chemistry and how difficulties defining marijuana lead to backlogs in crime labs around the country. NIJ Communications Assistant Josh Mondoro hosts. Read the transcript.

Reading and Resources from NIJ:

• Study Reveals Inaccurate Labeling of Marijuana as Hemp | Article
• Effects of Marijuana Legalization on Law Enforcement and Crime | Final Report

Other resources:

• NIST Tools for Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance | Program Website
• NIST Tools for Confidently Distinguishing Between Hemp and Marijuana | Webinar 

Correction: The article referenced by Dr. Scott as having been published in the 1950s was actually published in 1976. "A Practical and Natural Taxonomy for Cannabis" by Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist, was published in TAXON in August 1976.