“While officers rely on road side field sobriety tests, Oakland based Hound Labs has developed a [handheld] marijuana breathalyzer that measures the amount of THC in someone’s breath.” -Read Full Article

“Since blood tests don’t tell how long THC has been in a person’s system, [Dr. Lynn] is helping develop a marijuana breathalyzer test.” -Read Full Article

“‘Science needs to come to our aid,’ Snyder said. ‘We need some help.’ The California company Hound Labs might have done just that by developing a breathalyzer test for marijuana.” -Read Full Article

“Mass spectrometry has been the gold standard for making laboratory measurements on breath samples because of the tool’s extreme sensitivity. But, because mass spectrometry devices are large, expensive instruments – table-top or even larger – they’re not practical to take into the field. That’s why, Heanue says, Hound Labs developed a technique that is portable…

This report provides updated information regarding the involvement of marijuana in fatal crashes in Washington following legalization of recreational cannabis, including the rise of poly-drug drivers in fatal crashes. The report also includes key insights from other surveys, including Washington’s Roadside Self-Report Marijuana Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance and Healthy Youth Surveys.  …

Lynn argues breathalyzers solve the problem because of a neat relationship. The two-to-three-hour window of impairment – which he points out is what has been cited by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – aligns with how long THC can be detected in breath. Read More

“We want to identify people who shouldn’t be behind the wheel, but we want to protect people who are using legally,” Lynn said. -Read Full Article

To test out the marijuana breathalyzer, Lynn said Hound Labs has conducted hundreds of tests, even going so far as to recruit drivers to smoke weed and drive through an enclosed, monitored test track. -Read Full Article

Both [blood and urine] can provide evidence that you’ve been using marijuana — so if possession or use is illegal, then the police might have a case. But if you’re in one of the 29 states that, along with Washington D.C., allow some of kind of pot use, then it’s impairment while driving they’re after.

The device also measures alcohol on the breath, and both Kapetan and Dyer agree it could be the solution to simplify marijuana dui prosecution. -Read Full Article