Field test kits for police to help distinguish illegal marijuana from legal industrial hemp — both cannabis plants — will be distributed to departments across Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Forensic Science notified law enforcement agencies last month that 16,150 kits have been purchased for $97,500 using a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
The two plants look and smell the same. But cannabis that has a level of THC — the chemical that produces a high — of 0.3% or less is now legal in the possession of growers, dealers and processors who are registered with the state government.