According to an article published in Prosperous, a team from the University of Pittsburgh, including Dr. Ervin Sejdic, has created a breath testing device that can trace levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a person’s breath. THC is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. These researchers developed it through the use of carbon nanotubes, which are miniscule tubes of carbon 100,000x tinier than a human hair.
According to this news article, the cannabinoid THC as well as other molecules in the breath bind to the nanotubes’ surface and alter their electrical properties. This causes the breathalyzer to signal the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol. The article went on to report that, “[t]his protype breathalyzer looks similar to that which is used for detecting alcohol. It has a plastic casing, a mouthpiece, and a digital display.”
Many law enforcement officers have long wanted a reliable method to quantitatively test for THC. The Drug Recognition Evaluations (DRE) are too often discredited by knowledgeable DUI defense lawyers. Therefore, there are a limited number of methods by which a DUI suspect may be properly investigated to determine the level of impairment by intoxicants or a combination thereof.
About the Author: Steven Oberman has been licensed in Tennessee since 1980, and successfully defended over 2,500 DUI defendants. Among the many honors bestowed upon him, Steve served as Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. (NCDD) and currently serves as chair of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI Committee. Steve was the first lawyer in Tennessee to be Board Certified as a DUI Defense Specialist by the NCDD.
He is the author of DUI: The Crime & Consequences in Tennessee, updated annually since 1991 (Thomson-West), and co-author with Lawrence Taylor of the national treatise, Drunk Driving Defense, 8th edition (Wolters Kluwer/Aspen). Steve has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Law School since 1993 and has received a number of prestigious awards for his faculty contributions. He is a popular international speaker, having spoken at legal seminars in 30 states, the District of Columbia and six foreign countries. After being named a Fulbright Scholar, Steve was honored to teach as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Latvia Law School in the capital city of Riga, Latvia during the Spring Semester of 2019.
If you would like to contact the author, please visit his website.
