Law enforcement in California is in the process of testing new devices to catch drivers under the influence of marijuana.
Whereas before police had to resort to blood tests to prove there were metabolites, they’ll now be testing saliva. The difference this makes is enormous as it makes marijuana DUI testing much more accessible. It also means that police will actually be able to test for impairment, rather than just for proof that a person has used recently.
Saliva testing
The unit will be something that looks a little like a syringe and is designed to swab off some saliva from the tongue. The sample is then plugged into a small computer unit which then measures the volume of THC (and other chemicals) in the person’s system. This tells police exactly how impaired someone is.
The technology was developed by a Santa Rosa company, and is an expensive device for Californian police. Nonetheless, police expect to catch a lot of drugged drivers with this device.
Look out California
Well, it might have been easy once upon a time to drive stoned, but things seem to be changing in California. It is still technically illegal to drive stoned, even though cannabis is well and truly legal there. Police think that even stoned drivers are a threat to the road, even though we know they are less so than drunk drivers.
It will be interesting to see if some level of THC intoxication becomes tolerated in the same way as alcohol as the laws continue to change around the country. In any case, drivers in California should be careful while this new technology rolls out. It is much more likely to get caught with the release of saliva testing technology!
