Police in the United States have gotten their hands on a marijuana breathalyzer and drivers in California were among the first to be tested -with nationwide distribution planned for next year. “And so unlike saliva or blood or urine where what you did last weekend will still show up in that in breath it just doesn’t”.
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The Hound measures tetrahydrocannabinol, which is commonly refered to as THC, for the first few hours after the alleged user smokes or eats marijuana. Hound Labs, Inc. will continue to conduct rigorous testing, which includes ongoing roadside tests with multiple California law enforcement agencies.
The tool would help law enforcement better determine if a driver is really impaired from recent use. In case you did not know, smoking marijuana releases THC into your body, and THC will actually remain in your body for up to a month, meaning that you could get pulled over and have THC detected in your system for a joint that you smoked two weeks ago.
The “groundbreaking” device can detect THC (the main ingredient in pot) on a person’s breath when they have eaten food like gummy bears or brownies, as well as alcohol.
“We are looking for the least invasive way to obtain information that indicates impairment”, Lompoc police chief Patrick Walsh told CBS about his department’s field testing of the devices.
“We don’t want to arrest people who are not impaired, and yet we don’t want marijuana users driving if they are high from recent use”, he added. “I feel very fortunate that I have been able to use my experience both as an active reserve deputy sheriff and as a practicing ER physician to create a device that affordably solves an escalating public health crisis”.
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According to the company, marijuana is metabolized through our breath the same as alcohol.
