Californian company (finally) creates a «breathalyzer» adapted to cannabis

This is it! A Californian company has just invented a breathalyzer for cannabis which, if tests prove successful, will be used by police departments to arrest at-risk motorists. The aim of the product is, in the words of Hound Labs CEO Mike Lynn, to «rationalize the detection of the disabling effect of cannabis on driving and strike a balance between justice and safety».

A more reliable device

Until now, the only means available to law enforcement agencies to assess whether a driver had been driving under the influence of cannabis was the saliva test. This test was criticized not only for its ineffectiveness, but also for its unfairness. Indeed, while the “high” effect of cannabis lasts only a few hours, the saliva test assesses the presence of THC, which can last up to a week after consumption.

Mike Lynn explains: “When you detect THC in someone's breath, you can be pretty sure they've smoked pot in the previous two hours. These two hours are considered to be the peak of the THC effect, and therefore the most risky time for driving. The device has the advantage of operating within a reduced time window, as THC does not remain in the breath for long, so it targets the effects and not the consumption as such.

A more realistic test

Currently, Canadian police forces use the Draeger DrugTest 5000, which detects cannabis use within six hours, a timeframe Mike Lynn considers too long. Although residual effects may persist, in his opinion, the driver is no longer “high” and the test is therefore unfair.

This is also the opinion of Taylor West, former deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association: “unlike alcohol, THC can remain detectable in the blood for days or weeks, whereas the disabling effect disappears within hours”.

This discrepancy between test and reality has also called into question the results of studies and accident data of the road: in Colorado, for example, a study August 2017 published by Denver Post, According to the study, the number of fatal accidents involving drivers under the influence has risen significantly since legalization. Yet experts have questioned these results, arguing that the presence of THC in the blood is not an adequate indicator of driving under the influence, and that the study's findings merely point to an increase in consumption.

The breathalyzer will be tested this autumn by Californian law enforcement agencies.