I know that there are attempts to make a breathalyzer out there, but that also misses edibles. Urine tests are probably the most conclusive, but the results can persist for weeks.
So let’s see what’s down the road! Literally.
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It would be interesting if they can make it a viable testing method for field use.
What do you think Growers Network, does getting high make you an impaired driver? I’m not asking anyone to divulge how they like to spend their afternoon taking a cruise in the countryside, but curious if others out there think high driving is like drunk driving?
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Like everything, it varies by degree. I think that driving a little stoned is probably safer than driving a little drunk, as we all know stoned people tend to be more cautious and careful. The counterpoint to that would be that traffic studies have shown driving below the speed limit is actually more dangerous than driving above it, so I don’t know how that’d balance out.
On the other hand, I think driving while baked out of your mind on dabs or something is probably as dangerous as driving drunk. You may not be aggressive like a drunk, but I’ve been baked out of my mind before and just getting a glass of water for the dry mouth seems like a mission. I can’t imagine being on the freeway in that state!
Then of course there’s the subject of tolerance. In my experience, alcoholics aren’t immune to getting drunk, they just seem to drink a lot more in a shorter period of time before passing out. People with a weed tolerance can smoke a shitload without getting properly “high,” so a lot of these definitions change person to person. What would get me too stoned to drive (which is any amount, tbh, I hate driving high) might not have any effect on Sgt. Dabby Dabstein who wakes up to a snapper and some cannabutter on his eggos.
I think the rule has to be zero tolerance since there are so many grey areas. That being said, I think that anyone who can pass a rigorous field test without outwardly showing that they’re baked is probably good enough to drive. What I mean by this is that if the guy smells like weed, has bloodshot eyes, and looks like he’s about to eat a giant sandwich with Scooby, then it shouldn’t matter if he can pass a field sobriety test because homie is obviously stoned. If they don’t show those signs, though, and they can pass the test, then what’s the issue? I understand this isn’t a realistic policy, but I think that’d be the best policy in a perfect world.
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I agree with you, almost have to take a blanket approach with just so many factors involved (and that’s too bad.) “My tolerance is not your tolerance” kind of thing. I have a buddy who has smoked with me for almost 20 years solid now, and to this day he still gets so paranoid high that he suspects that I’m secretly an undercover agent 
I keep saying to him “dude, we have to find you the right herb because clearly the majority here is not doing it for your headspace” haha! We have fun with it, good times good times. But he knows his limits. He won’t drive PERIOD when he’s high. I bought him a sweet hammer bubbler for his birthday and he wouldn’t take it home with him. Actually it’s sitting on my desk right now as I type this (seriously, it’s really cool!)
Here’s some food for thought, I had no idea about THC in mg dosing until I moved to Colorado. Never would have thought “what? there’s a unit of measurement here? I can actually measure out incremental doses?” Maybe in the coming years we’ll see more education taught properly dosing yourself even. How many new users smoke too much? Eat too many edibles in one sitting not realizing the on-set hasn’t kicked in? What if there was a source of education or a place they could go to try to help prevent that from happening? Common sense that wasn’t spelled out for you and me, but for this future generation?
pounding fist on the table
Darn it Erik, we have the technology! We have the money (well someone does!) We can build the better tomorrow! 
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Right? I feel like we’ll get to the point where they can study this stuff. I’d love to see some stats like “per % of THC in a gram of flower, how many mg THC gets absorbed by an average toke on a joint/blunt/bong of X size, held in for Y amount of time.” Knowing this would at least give us some kind of baseline beyond “bro, this shit is fire” lol.
I’m the same way with driving after smoking or drinking. Even if it’s one drink or toke hours before I hate getting in the car afterwards. It’s probably my nerves more than any actual impairment, but it makes me really nervous. Luckily Lyft is a thing hahaha.
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Have you seen these before?
I want one! Even having just a rough idea is better than no idea. And it’s a good proof of concept that we’re moving in the right direction with portables and handhelds (honestly it’s not even that expensive for home-joe user, I mean “do I buy that Oculus Rift VR headset system -or- the ability to test THC levels of my flower in the comfort of my own home?”
More food for thought. If Medical or Recreational dispensaries had a public device/machine where consumers could put in their own flower (or store bought product) to have it tested right there on the spot? Would create a new level of accountability for the dispensaries on the flipside, but man. I would SO pay to do that. $5, $10, $20 to have some buds tested out? Conveniently? I know so many growers out here in Colorado that would do that, the idea of sending into labs I think is a bit intimidating for a lot of people. Make it easy. “Stoner proof” we call it on the home/hobbyist side haha.
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I don’t think breathalyzers are going to be as useful for cannabis as it is for alcohol. One of the main problems with measuring cannabis impairment is that cannabis blood levels do not correlate well to impairment levels, especially in tolerant patients where the correlation is very clear with alcohol.
In addition, cannabis’ effect on the motor control centers are roughly 1/100th of the effect of alcohol, which further muddies the water.
I think developing an impairment tool that can detect motor impairment regardless of substance would be more useful and not reliant on chemical tests. I think the department of transportation would be better served with such a device rather than trying to come up with a medically and statistically verifiable chemical or blood test.
I have an idea for one but it’s not my area of expertise.
Ethan Carruthers
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