An up-and-coming startups based on Oakland, California, is promising a Breathalyzer capable of testing for marijuana use as soon as 2020, Business Insider recently reported. Hound Labs, a device manufacturer founded by a physician, raised as much as 30 million dollars recently for such as device.

Currently, there’s a need for a reliable test to check for marijuana use by suspects from law enforcement agencies in U.S. and Canada. While Canada and some parts of the U.S. has decriminalized the recreational use of the drug, marijuana use is still prohibited under certain circumstances.

Like alcohol, marijuana can impair a person’s cognitive performance and alertness, making them unsuited to drive vehicles or operate heavy machinery while the drug is highly potent in their bloodstream. In California, one could get arrested for driving after using marijuana within an hour. In Canada, the rules have established a three-hour window, according to Newmarket DUI lawyers.

Who Needs a Marijuana Breathalyzer?

Testing for alcohol to nab dangerous drunk drivers undoubtedly keep the roads safe. Law enforcement agencies nearly worldwide rely on a Breathalyzer test to check for blood alcohol content of drivers. This type of test not only generates results that uphold in a court of law, it is also easier to perform on the side of a road.

The same is not true for marijuana. To test for weed use, scientists check the level of THC, the active ingredient in the drug, in the bloodstream of a user. Unlike with alcohol, the potency of THC can last longer. However, it’s generally considered that the drug is most potent three hours after smoking weed. However, checking for blood THC levels is trickier than most expect.

In Canada, at least, law enforcement agencies need a blood test performed at a hospital to definitely confirm the presence of THC. This test is often cumbersome as the police have to accompany the suspect to the hospital. Canadian law enforcement, according to a Toronto DUI lawyer, much prefer an easier test, such as the one performed by taking saliva samples.

A marijuana Breathalyzer would be groundbreaking as a result. If testing for THC is as easy and fast as testing for THC, the roads may have a fewer bad drivers.

State of Marijuana Use in the Workplace in Santa Clarita

Marijuana isn’t a major law enforcement concern in the township. However, employers are very much concerned about week smoking habits of employees, particularly those who need to drive or operate certain types of machinery.

Earlier this month, the Valley Industry Association held a discussion on the very same topic. Over a business luncheon, the association raised s about the lack of universal decriminalization of marijuana in the U.S. Because the federal government still considers marijuana a controlled substance, employees who move between states can be exposed to serious prosecution.

Employers thus want to avoid serious legal pitfalls, therefore, are demanding a better test for weed usage.

How Can Santa Clarita Residents Benefit?

Santa Clarita residents who use marijuana would have access to more reliable test results if a weed Breathalyzer test is invented. Right now, the various oral fluid sample tests used by employers and law enforcement agencies can generate unreliable results. Blood tests, while reliable, can be troublesome to obtain.

A weed Breathalyzer test could thus clear up confusion, especially regarding exactly when a user consumed marijuana. As marijuana use issues pop up in the workplaces more often, this test could be a job saver.

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