Contributor: LV Cannabis Reviews
There’s really no debating it – marijuana is becoming more and more accepted with each passing year. And that trend shows no sign of slowing down – nor should it. With dispensaries popping up everywhere these days, and the CBD craze being as popular as it is, the world, as a whole, is beginning to embrace all the therapeutic effects that cannabis can provide.
Which is great.
However, with all of these newcomers, many don’t realize that smoking and driving is severely frowned upon, dangerous, and could result in a litany of other, potentially lethal problems.
But it’s not just “newbies” who are finding themselves behind the wheel shortly after a session – there are many veteran enthusiasts who wrongly commit the same lapse in judgment on a regular basis. And even though they may think that it’s “fine” and “not as bad as driving drunk” – they’d be sorely mistaken. Just because marijuana isn’t as intoxicating as booze, doesn’t mean you can smoke a bunch and grab your keys. Reaction times and focus are often altered with cannabis – and such aspects can greatly affect one’s driving abilities.
We’ve all heard the ads, “If you feel different, you’ll drive different,” and, “Drive High, Get A DUI.” Which is true, but never really enforced. It’s pretty easy to tell if someone has been drinking, but it’s not always easy to detect if someone’s high. In fact, without the standard hair, blood, or urine sample, it’s pretty much impossible to prove that someone is under the influence of THC. And even in those cases, the results only indicate if that person has recently enjoyed some cannabis – not if they are high at that moment. And it’s that lapse in accuracy that has ultimately stumped the scientific and cannabis community.
Alcohol has always been easier to detect than marijuana. Obviously, during DUI stops and checkpoints, officers are equipped with breathalyzers that can detect the alcohol level of a suspect, solely based on their breath. However, no such device exists to accurately test the THC levels of a person instantly – until now.
The cannabis community has long heard rumors about just such a device, but the technology needed to create it has only been around for a few years. At the University of Pittsburgh, a team of brilliant scientists has employed the use of nanotechnology to invent the very first working THC breathalyzer prototype.
To be specific, they use a series of carbon nanotubes. When one hears the term “nanotube”, they assume it’s extremely small – and they wouldn’t be wrong – because each one is roughly 100,000 times smaller than a single strand of hair. The surface of the nanotubes beckon THC, and other components, to land on them when breathed upon. These tubes pick up other elements as well, but the researchers behind this device are able to detect the presence of THC based on the rapidity of the currents recovery time.
This device, created by Sean Hwang, Alexander Star, and Ervin Sejdic, has proven to deliver more accurate results than any other THC testing method currently available.
Sean Hwang, the main author behind this revolutionary study, said: “We used machine learning to ‘teach’ the breathalyzer to recognize the presence of THC based on the electrical currents recovery time, even when there are other substances, like alcohol, present in the breath.” Which is something that most other prototypes have struggled with – and understandably so.
The actual breathalyzer looks like a straight-up doppelganger of its alcohol-detecting inspiration. The handheld device is just a plastic rectangle, complete with a digital readout and an extended mouthpiece. Per the usual routine, the person suspected of THC-impaired driving, would gently place their lips on the aforementioned mouthpiece, and blow into it for a predetermined amount of time – which is usually just a handful of seconds.
Then, within moments, the nanotubes that are hidden within the device start to comb through the various aspects of the suspect’s exhale. Each surface reacts differently to each element, and once the currents have fully recuperated, the nanotubes detect just how long it took to do so.
Depending on the amount of time it takes for them to get back to normal, it essentially reveals if there is any THC present in that person’s system at the moment. And, as you’d imagine, the more time it takes – the more cannabis there is. That data is then shown on the easy-to-read digital screen, and the law enforcement official can proceed from there.
The fact that this piece of nanotechnology can sift through the various components present in a person’s breath to find any hint of THC is truly impressive. But it then raises a truly fascinating question (and an inevitable debate) about how much THC would be considered “under the influence” by sobriety standards.
This is definitely an important thing to consider during the eventual mass-production of THC breathalyzers of this nature. Let’s say, for example, there’s a veteran cannabis enthusiast out there with an extremely high tolerance for marijuana – with the average dosage not really affecting them one way or another. If this same person were to partake in a tiny amount of cannabis before hopping in their car, would that result in them getting a DUI? Personally, I don’t think that should be the case.
For instance, if they legally make the limit 10mg – that would be suitable for those with moderate-to-low tolerances. But if that severely low level is adhered to, someone who only reaps the beneficial effects of cannabis at, say 20mg or so – that simply wouldn’t be fair to the more seasoned smoker. They wouldn’t be altered in any way, but under this new restriction, they’d get a DUI – which is something that drastically affects that person’s life, emotionally and financially.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for sober driving. Nobody should ever operate a vehicle while under the influence of…anything, really. All I’m saying is I hope the cannabis community steps in and voices their opinion on the matter, whenever the time comes for such a discussion. Leaving it up to government officials with no experience on the subject would be unjust. But, I suppose this is one of those “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it” moments.
Whatever ends up happening, this invention is a positive leap in the right direction. With devices of this nature, conversations like this can exist. Because currently, there really is no way to enforce any sort of THC-inspired DUI arrests. This innovative breathalyzer is still undergoing some final tests, but the creators are confident that it will be available across the country in the very near future.
And, to be honest, the sooner it’s out – the better. But that doesn’t mean the research team should rush to production. Such a hurried move may result in an ineffective, not-always-accurate device. But, that being said, I sincerely appreciate this team’s diligence. They are aware that accuracy and reliability are key when producing such a product, so they are making sure to work out all of the kinks before moving forward.
However long it takes them to perfect this device, it appears as though the emergence of a real, working THC breathalyzer is a reality – and no longer just a far-fetched rumor. And, hopefully, it’ll help save countless lives by taking harmful drivers off the road. But, I suppose only time will tell.
