Police currently do not have a device that can be used in the field to determine if a driver is under the influence of marijuana, but new research from the University of Pittsburgh is looking to change that.
The device can measure how much marijuana someone smoked or ingested. THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana.
“If there is suspicion that a person is driving under the influence, they can then take blood samples which take a long time to get the results from. We are hoping with this device, they will be able to make the detection on the spot,” said Alexander Star, professor of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.
The device was developed using carbon nanotubes, which are tiny tubes of carbon that are 1/100,000th the diameter of a human hair.