In May, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill passed by the Nebraska Legislature allowing hemp cultivation in the state. That presented a new problem for criminal prosecutors — they now had to prove, via a test, that the cannabis seized in a drug bust was really illegal marijuana that tested above the 0.3% THC level, and not legal hemp.

Christine Gabig, a chemist with the Douglas County Sheriff’s forensic services bureau, said that the crime lab worked overtime to develop and validate its THC tests. Beyond the internal validation, the tests complied with accreditation standards of the ANSI National Accreditation Board, a national organization for forensic labs.

“We knew this was important for law enforcement,” Gabig said. The lab performs testing for law enforcement agencies in the Omaha area, including the sheriff’s offices in Douglas, Sarpy and Washington Counties, and suburban police departments, like those in Ralston, La Vista and Papillion.

She said the Douglas County lab performed hundreds of tests to validate their testing procedures, which were based on a method used by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Gabig said the test is “fast and easy” and won’t overly delay other testing required at the crime lab.