weed breathalyzer | Scientists closer to creating a ‘weed breathalyzer’
Scientists are one step closer to creating the first “weed breathalyzer.”
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology said this week they have come up with a way to measure the amount of pot’s active ingredient THC in the bloodstream — research that could soon help cops nab doobie-loving drivers.
“We’re laying the foundation for the reliable systems of the future,” said researcher Tom Bruno, who co-authored the study.
Here’s how it works:
A standard booze breathalyzer estimates the amount of alcohol in the blood after someone breathes into the device.
But there’s no ganja equivalent because THC molecules are more complex than alcohol, and THC in the blood can’t be measured by breathing out air.
The new research uses a process called porous layer open tubular cryogenic absorption, or PLOT-Cryo, which traps THC molecules, freezes them, and extracts them from the breath.
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Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are saying they have created a way to measure pot's active ingredient THC in the bloodstream. (belterz/Getty Images)[/caption]
More research is needed to understand what level of THC in the blood makes someone too impaired to drive, but researchers were hailing the key first step.
Several companies have begun marketing pot-sniffing devices, but such machines only reveal if someone toked at all, not whether there is enough THC lingering in the blood to determine if the person is impaired, as CNNMoney reported.
PLOT-Cryo was created by Bruno in 2009 to help track down explosives in luggage at the airport, and has since been used to investigate arson in fire debris.
SOURCE
Nydailynews.com
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Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are saying they have created a way to measure pot's active ingredient THC in the bloodstream. (belterz/Getty Images)[/caption]
More research is needed to understand what level of THC in the blood makes someone too impaired to drive, but researchers were hailing the key first step.
Several companies have begun marketing pot-sniffing devices, but such machines only reveal if someone toked at all, not whether there is enough THC lingering in the blood to determine if the person is impaired, as CNNMoney reported.
PLOT-Cryo was created by Bruno in 2009 to help track down explosives in luggage at the airport, and has since been used to investigate arson in fire debris.
SOURCE
Nydailynews.com
Save
Save
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