By Ashley Silver
Police1
WARREN, Pa. — Officers in Pennsylvania will soon be piloting new marijuana breathalyzer technology to detect elevated levels of THC in an effort to prevent impaired driving.
According to Erie News Now, the process works by Warren County officers collecting breath samples from a driver suspected of being impaired by cannabis using the breathalyzer and then sending those samples to a designated laboratory to be processed.
Officers will be able to test the new breathalyzer technology during a three-month pilot phase.
“Pennsylvania has legalized the medical use of marijuana and recreational adult use is right around the corner,” Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene said in a statement shared by Erie News Now. “Every state surrounding Pennsylvania has legalized medical marijuana and, more importantly, Warren County borders the state of New York which has legalized recreational use. The goal is to keep Warren County citizens safe from impaired drivers.”
Warren County is partnering with Canada-based Cannabix Technologies, which will provide two handheld units to police before the end of the year.
Under Pennsylvania law, drivers cannot legally operate a vehicle if there is any marijuana metabolite in their blood, according to the report.