BOULDER, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) – Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are trying to develop a breathalyzer that would track marijuana impairment levels in real-time.
Although it has been 12 years since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, law enforcement said they still face issues when trying to determine if someone is too high to drive.
Blood tests can detect how much pot is in a driver’s system, but unlike breathalyzers for drunk drivers, blood tests can take days to show results.
Researchers hope to develop a marijuana breathalyzer to change that.
People involved with the project at CU Boulder said police have not used marijuana-detecting breathalyzers in the past because there isn’t a clear link between how much THC is in the breath and the level of impairment.
“It’s more like a needle in a haystack when you have tiny, tiny amounts to detect, versus alcohol, which is robust and much more standardized in terms of the higher levels,” said Cinnamon Bidwell, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder.
According to Bidwell, her team’s research is geared toward developing a better impairment detector by using a multi-breath testing system to help pinpoint a base level for THC in the system.
Sherri Mendez with the Colorado State Patrol said driving while high is a serious problem.
“It’s just as bad as drinking alcohol and going behind the wheel,” Mendez said. “We look for signs such as weaving, careless driving, any kind of driving acts like driving slow or too fast. You can also be impaired and cause a crash and hurt somebody when you think it’s just harmless.”
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