A Breathalyzer For Marijuana: Stanford Team Creates Test For Driving While On THC
Police, lawmakers and public health officials have yet to establish a consensus on how much THC in one’s system causes impairment, though.
The Mercury News:
Stanford Engineers Develop 'Potalyzer' Test
A “potalyzer” that can detect whether a driver is under the influence by marijuana is being perfected by Stanford University researchers. Magnetic biosensors on the mobile device developed by materials science and engineering professor Shan Wang and her team can detect the presence of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in saliva, according to a Stanford news release. Like a breathalyzer is used in alcohol impairment cases, police would be able to use a cotton swab to collect a spit sample and results would be available on a smart phone or laptop in three minutes. (Lee, 9/12)
In other news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Marin Hospital Could Be First In State To Allow Medical Marijuana
The doctor [Larry Bedard] is taking steps toward bringing it out into the open by introducing a resolution at Tuesday’s board meeting for Marin Healthcare District, which governs Marin General. The resolution, if approved, would direct the hospital’s administrative and medical staff to review and research the clinical and legal implications of using medical marijuana in the hospital and report back to the board. Bedard initially planned to introduce a resolution to allow patient use in the hospital but stepped back from that last month after the Drug Enforcement Agency declined to remove marijuana from its list of dangerous drugs, keeping it in the same category as such drugs as heroin and LSD. (Colliver, 9/12)