California is inching closer and closer to recreational marijuana being legal in the state and there’s a lot of preparation going on.
A company based in Oakland, California is developing a breathalyzer that will measure in parts per trilion how much THC a user has in their breath. THC is an active ingredient in marijuana that is known for creating the high effect.
According to Hounds Lab CEO Dr. Mike Lynn, if THC appears in someone’s breath, that means they’ve smoked within the past couple of hours and are more than likely impaired.
“It’s a huge technological and scientific challenge that we had to overcome,” Lynn explained.
“It took us a few years to overcome but we figured it out and we can measure just a few particles of THC, so it’d be like measuring a few drops of water in a hundred swimming pools put together.”
Hound Labs is in the process of testing its third and final version of the breathalyzer.
It is expected to get to market in the second quarter of next year and will have a price range of $500 to $1000. It will be available to law enforcement personnel as well as individual marijuana smokers.
