One of the constant hurdles facing states as they legalize marijuana is the fact that there is no test that can show whether someone is, or is not, impaired by the drug. That means impaired drivers could be on the road, and police have no way to prove they are under the influence.
If you’ve been drinking, a blood alcohol test or a breathalyzer can determine if you are intoxicated, and how severely. Current testing methods for marijuana can show whether someone has used within the last 24 hours or up to the last 3 months. But since users are only truly impaired for a few hours, these methods are not suitable for determining if a driver is a danger on the road.
Oklahoma’s governor just signed a bill that will allow the state to conduct a pilot program with a new technology that claims to get data from deep in the lungs to actually measure THC in the breath. Someone who smoked pot, will show THC levels for 2 to 3 hours. If they’ve consumed edible marijuana products, they can show impairment for up to 5 hours. The test is designed to give police officers a clear pass or fail result.
The state agreed to spend $300,000 over the next year studying the product from Hounds Labs in California.
