Hound labs in California introduced the
first marijuana breathalyzer in the country. But with the new invention
comes concerns from local law enforcement.
"Until we can see these and evaluate them it's hard to say how they will be incorporated or what they'll do for law enforcement,” said Jefferson County Sheriffs Public Information Officer Benjamin Timerman. “But if they work the way we would like them to work, they'll be a big help."
Detectives believe that if marijuana breathalyzers are similar to alcohol breathalyzers, it'll be hard to determine if a person is driving under the influence because those tests only show there's THC in a person's system but not how much.
"If there was a device that was able to measure the amount of THC in someone’s blood stream, similar to a data stream that would be a great tool for law enforcement," said Timerman.
The Breathalyzers also raise the question of the legal THC limit considered for driving under the influence. Right now there are no legislative guidelines that address this.
"If marijuana is legalized then we may see an increase in marijuana use while driving and that will be a danger for everyone not just police officers," said Timerman.
The thought of marijuana breathalyzers may be appealing to deputies, they believe the new tool needs to be tested before it can be used on the streets.
"Until we can see these and evaluate them it's hard to say how they will be incorporated or what they'll do for law enforcement,” said Jefferson County Sheriffs Public Information Officer Benjamin Timerman. “But if they work the way we would like them to work, they'll be a big help."
Detectives believe that if marijuana breathalyzers are similar to alcohol breathalyzers, it'll be hard to determine if a person is driving under the influence because those tests only show there's THC in a person's system but not how much.
"If there was a device that was able to measure the amount of THC in someone’s blood stream, similar to a data stream that would be a great tool for law enforcement," said Timerman.
The Breathalyzers also raise the question of the legal THC limit considered for driving under the influence. Right now there are no legislative guidelines that address this.
"If marijuana is legalized then we may see an increase in marijuana use while driving and that will be a danger for everyone not just police officers," said Timerman.
The thought of marijuana breathalyzers may be appealing to deputies, they believe the new tool needs to be tested before it can be used on the streets.
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