Everything You Need to Know About Marijuana Breathalyzers
Did you know that the U.S law enforcement agencies are looking for a solution to detect cannabis use through breathalyzers? Especially in Pennsylvania, which has strict laws against the use of cannabis, this scenario is slowly becoming a reality. Why so?
Well, cannabis contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance that gets users ‘high.’ Since cannabis affects a person’s judgment and motor skills, it brings along a significant risk of impaired driving and a lack of road safety.
Thus, many companies and scientific projects are trying to develop prototypes of marijuana breathalyzers for the cops. However, the fact that an expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyer can still challenge the accuracy of these machines is still relevant.
Why Has it Become Important to Test THC Levels Through Breathalyzers?
According to studies, the daily marijuana usage among the U.S population has grown more than daily alcohol consumption rates! This has highlighted a growing concern for road safety.
Breathalyzers that correctly detect BAC levels have been around for decades. But there has been no standardized roadside test for THC impairment. This gap in roadside testing creates challenges for police officers and complicates DUI cases even more. And that’s where the need for a reliable and accurate tool to measure cannabis use and THC levels has become more urgent than ever.
As a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer can attest, the absence of a clear impairment standard for cannabis has led to legal ambiguities. The development of a marijuana breathalyzer has, therefore, become a crucial step in creating a fair and enforceable system.
NIST and its Latest Innovation
The research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), partnered with personnel of the University of Colorado Anschutz and became the first team to make a successful breakthrough. The researchers made the first-ever measurement of THC in human breath after ingesting cannabis edibles. This is a significant development because our body metabolizes cannabis-infused edibles differently from when it is smoked. The study shows that THC can be exhaled, but it may take some time to appear. Added to that, the NIST researchers suggest that a single breath test for cannabis may not be enough to determine recent use.
However, devices still need standards to make sure that the results they draw are accurate. Moreover, a skilled Pittsburgh criminal lawyer knows that the legal admissibility of these devices will depend on their scientific reliability. Therefore, it wouldn’t be too hard for them to come up with a defense strategy, which might revolve around challenging the accuracy of a single-test device.
Hence, if you find yourself in this situation, stop panicking and call up a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer ASAP. Since there is a lack of standardized testing, expert legal advice is necessary to navigate such deep waters and come out safely. The work by the researchers at NIST and at the University of Colorado Anschutz is an important step toward creating a fair system for everyone. Not just that, but it is also a big step towards ensuring road safety.