Find Out About The Marijuana Breathalyzer
We wrote recently about how legalized pot in Arizona will affect the state’s toughest-in-the-land DUI laws. Because technology is constantly changing, cops will likely soon have a new tool in their arsenal: a marijuana breathalyzer.
The Marijuana Breathalyzer at a Glance
Developed by Mike Lynn, an emergency room doctor and a reserve officer with the Alameda (Calif.) County Sheriff’s Office, the device has undergone initial field testing in California. During their tests, officers pulled over erratic drivers and asked them to voluntarily blow into the breathalyzer. None of the drivers were facing arrest – unless, of course, they were drunk – and were assured the effort was for testing purposes only. According to Lynn, the device is able to detect THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the high-inducing compound in pot – in people who have smoked within two-to-three hours. Those claims were backed up by the field testing results. Test readings for two people who said they had smoked pot within the past 30 minutes showed results that were much stronger than the others. Even though none of the volunteer drivers had recently consumed edible pot, Lynn said that informal testing on medical marijuana users who had eaten pot gummy bears and brownies tested positive as well. The marijuana breathalyzer only measures the presence of THC, not the amount of it in a person’s system.
What’s The Next Step?
The marijuana breathalyzer will now go through a two-part testing challenge:
- The use of laboratory equipment to make sure the device is producing accurate results
- Determining when someone is impaired
Other law enforcement agencies are being recruited to help with the data collections. After six months, Lynn is hoping to distribute the breathalyzer throughout the country. Other companies have seen a potential opening to capitalize on the pot movement and are pushing forward with their own versions of a marijuana breathalyzer. One company, Cannabix, has been working with the University of Florida to develop their own marijuana breathalyzer. In a press release, the company said they are “moving quickly” toward completing the device’s design and will be offering it for external testing.
Impaired Driving is a Serious Charge That Requires Legal Representation
If you’ve been charged with impaired driving, there’s no getting around the fact that you need skilled legal representation. Contact The Oswalt Law Group; we’ve built an established record of having DUI charges reduced or thrown out altogether. The first consultation is always free so call us at 602-225-2222.