Marijuana Breath Test Being Developed at WSU

Scientists at Washington State University (WSU) are working to develop a breath test, similar to a breathalyzer that would help law enforcement officers more quickly determine whether a driver is under the influence of marijuana.

Currently, officers must use blood tests to determine if THC is present in a driver’s blood, and the results are never immediate. WSU chemistry professor Herbert Hill said existing technologies like those used by TSA agents to detect drugs and explosives in real time on airline passengers can also be altered to test breath for THC.

The handheld device will use a technique called ion mobility spectrometry. They plan to develop a prototype this year, then start testing human breath between January and June of 2015.