The crime lab for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has completed validation of a laboratory test to distinguish between hemp and marijuana.

Deputies with the DSCO Forensic Services Bureau are now able to confirm whether a plant has more than about 1% THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana that distinguishes it from hemp in accordance with current Nebraska state statues.

The procedure was developed based on a federal Drug Enforcement Agency method, according to a news release. A full validation process was recently completed to demonstrate the procedure is reliable and accurate. The process falls under the crime lab’s current scope of accreditation.

No new instruments were required at the lab. The procedure is not expected to delay the turn-around time for drug testing.

The DSCO crime lab serves more than 20 city, county and federal law enforcement agencies.