Preliminary evaluation of two iiPCR platforms for qualitative field detection of Cannabis sativa

Insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) amplifies DNA through convection-based thermocycling and is therefore well suited for field-deployable screening. Here, a commercial iiPCR cannabis assay was evaluated on a benchtop platform (POCKIT Central) and a field-portable platform (POCKIT Micro Duo). The assay targets cannabis DNA rather than THC content and therefore identifies hemp and marijuana alike, matching jurisdictions that control all cannabis material regardless of THC content. Sensitivity, exclusivity, variety, and interference studies were performed under controlled laboratory conditions. The assay detected cannabis in all 31 hemp powder varieties, five marijuana samples, and five commercial hemp seed samples tested, as well as in cannabis–tobacco mixtures containing up to a 1000-fold excess of tobacco. Of twelve non-cannabis materials tested, only hops (Humulus lupulus) returned a positive result, on one of four replicates using the benchtop platform. The benchtop system demonstrated greater sensitivity than the portable platform when using the assay. Both platforms returned results within 85 min without laboratory infrastructure, supporting screening of plant material and reducing the number of samples that require confirmatory analysis.