The researchers at Washington State University are developing a handheld device that would detect if a driver has taken marijuana, Bloomberg reported.
Washington University Chemistry Professor Herbert Hill is working with doctorate student Jessica Tufariello to create the handheld breathalyzer that uses ion mobility spectrometry, a method used to detect Tetrahydrocannabin, the main component of marijuana in human breath.
The breathalyzer will not detect the amount of marijuana the driver has taken but will only identify the presence of the drug. The device will soon be used by law enforcers similar to the alcohol-detecting gadget. Police officers still need to supply a blood test result to the court for follow up evidence, according to Jalopnik.
Currently, law enforcers rely on blood tests and traditional standardized field sobriety tests such as walking in a straight line and touching the nose to identify marijuana users. Blood tests results are revealed after 24 hours and sobriety tests are not a hundred percent accurate.
The THC detecting device will help the police to get more accurate results immediately. Professor Hill has high hopes for the invention.
"We believe at least initially that it would lower the false positives that an officer would have. They would have a higher level of confidence in making an arrest," Hill said, according to Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, marijuana recreational use is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington but driving under the influence of cannabis is still illegal.
Drivers may be in danger under the drug since it promotes hallucination and leads to poor reaction time. Short term memory and lack of physical coordination may also be experienced, Realty Today reported.
The researchers will finish creating the breathalyzer before Dec. 25. The device will be tested in the first half of 2015 and will be used by law enforcers after that.
