As both medical and recreational cannabis legalization continues to flourish across the United States, policymakers and law enforcement agencies have been racing to find a way to monitor and keep users from driving under the influence of pot. For years now, researchers have attempted to create a viable test that could gauge marijuana impairment levels.
In fact, the demand for cannabis breathalyzers is so high that a number of venture capital firms have poured millions of dollars into getting such a product developed and into the hands of police officers. Now, thanks to a team of scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the long-awaited marijuana breathalyzer device may be right around the corner.
Tasked with finding a way to calculate the vapor pressure of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (more famously known as THC), the NIST researchers turned to a unique technology. This technique is called PLOT-cryo, otherwise known as porous layer open tubular cryogenic adsorption. The process was originally developed for airport security, and blown with air onto passengers or into luggage, allowing traces of explosives to be detected.
The…