"As cannabis legalization continues to spread across the country, law enforcement agencies are struggling to learn how to figure out if consumers are getting behind the wheel stoned. A device to evaluate someone’s alcohol sobriety has been around since the early 1930s (its earliest name was the “Drunkometer”). This paved the way for the breathalyzers that we are familiar with today and that law enforcement has been using since 1940.
Breathalyzers don’t directly measure blood alcohol levels, which can only be achieved through a blood sample. What they do is make an estimate by measuring the amount of alcohol in one’s breath, the results of which are often used as evidence should a defendant appear in court. Currently, there is no such device for cannabis that can accurately measure whether or not a stoned driver is an impaired driver. However, a number of groups are looking to change that. Will there ever be a “breathalyzer of weed?” Let’s take a look!
Consumers, researchers, and law enforcement alike know that THC metabolites can linger in the blood for days or even weeks – depending on personal biology and frequency of consumption – which renders testing the metabolite practically a moot point. The most accurate test for cannabis impairment thus far is a blood test, which is impractical for officers on patrol and requires additional training. So what’s on the horizon for the cannabis breathalyzer? Has anyone been able to figure this problem out? ..."Read the full article by Erin Hiatt at PotGuide.com.
