It’s very unlikely that anyone will be able to invent a handheld marijuana breathalyzer since measuring THC in breath is not possible, yet.
However, there is a swab that can detect THC in saliva. Laws would have to be written that would allow a blood test to be performed at the police station once a swab has tested positive.
Saliva testing, just like a blood test, is accurate. And the next logical step is a roadside saliva tester for law enforcement that is proven to work.
Here lies another big hurdle for big brother and Uncle Sam.
Challenges for valid THC testing
THC stays in the body’s blood much longer than alcohol. Marijuana can remain in the blood stream for up to 2 to 7 days. So any valid system would have to prove that marijuana was ingested within recent use prior to the defendants roadside stop by officers. Currently, saliva, urine, and blood tests can detect levels of THC in the body but cannot distinguish between recent use from THC used last week.
Colorado legislature has determined that the legal limit for impairment by marijuana is 5 nanograms of THC in the blood, although that limit is a presumption only and has been rejected in court.
You can bet the farm that it’s all in the works.
Once the system is in place the bar will be set higher. There’s a marijuana-hating entrepreneur out there that will try to invent a device to detect levels of THC on the roadside.
Colorado passed a THC driving bill in 2013 and has been working on making incredible amounts of future revenue.
Do I think that the legal marijuana products on the market can impair a driver?
Yes.
Do I think that an individual should be able to consume as many legal marijuana products as they want and then drive? No — and I hate the government getting involved in anything.
The facts are that Colorado law enforcer’s are hungry for a laboratory that can produce devices that work and will bring the revenue that they want. Once Colorado establishes a police state then all other marijuana states will have a model to copy from. In conclusion: marijuana is going to create entrepreneurs on both sides of the prejudice fence.
A medical marijuana business plan
I have been a resident of Colorado for twenty-six years.
My book, titled “Colorado Marijuana Real Estate,” is a how to guide for entrepreneurs and the blue-collar guy. This book explains the Colorado evolution of legal marijuana from 2001 to 2014.
What’s more, this book provides you with a blueprint for starting a medical marijuana business plan.