Pot Breathalyzer Has Been Invented
Recreational marijuana use is being legalized by more and more states, which has led to a California company to invent a pot breathalyzer.
Per Chicago’s ABC7, Hounds Labs in Oakland, Calif. have created the world’s first breathalyzer to measure marijuana and alcohol in someone’s breath. Since California legalized recreational marijuana use in 2018, there has been a 31 percent increase in DUI marijuana arrests.
Hounds Labs founder Dr. Mike Lynn said, “When you can find THC in breath, and that can require some incredibly sensitive tools, but when you can find it, then you know that person used very, very recently.” Dr. Lynn also said test subject for the pot breathalyzer detected THC at peak levels 15 minutes after marijuana use with THC becoming undetectable in breath after two to three hours, which is the period of time a driver would be the most impaired.
Of course, there hasn’t been any sort of level determined that would make someone “legally high” the same way we measure alcohol, but this is certainly an important first step to help keep people safe with the expanding legalization of marijuana.
