Companies working on first marijuana/cannabis breathalyzer:
Public companies working on the first marijuana/cannabis breathalyzer include:
LCTC - Lifeloc Technologies - Thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development, Lifeloc scientists have come up with a method that can not only detect the presence of Delta 9 THC in a person's exhaled breath, it can also identify the metabolite separately. "Feasibility of detection has already been demonstrated for very low levels of delta-9-THC, cocaine, and methamphetamine." Development work continues on the real time, quantitative analysis for a panel of drugs including THC utilizing the SpinDx™ technology licensed from Sandia Corporation and the closely related THC breathalyzer. This work has demonstrated the detection of very low quantities of THC, but more work is needed to reduce this to a practical device.
BLO (BLOZF) - Cannabix Technologies - Cannabix Technologies Inc. is a leader in marijuana breathalyzer development for law enforcement and the workplace. Cannabix has established breath testing technologies in the pursuit of bringing durable, portable hand-held tools to market to enhance detection of marijuana impaired driving offences on roads at a time when marijuana is becoming legal in many global jurisdictions. Cannabix is working to develop drug-testing devices that will detect THC- the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes intoxication- using breath samples.
BICB - Biocube Inc. Biocube and its strategic partner, IUT Medical, have developed the CannaSens Delta9, a portable marijuana breathalyzer, using sophisticated technology to identify the presence of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
VNTH -Nano Mobile Healthcare - THE NANO MOBILE SENSOR will be used by law enforcement to detect the presence of marijuana on a driver’s breath. The Nano Mobile Sensor and its application will provide in-the-moment results with a goal of making our roads safer for all drivers and creating a more effective tool for law enforcement.
Private companies working on it include Hound Labs out in Calif., Owlstone nanotech, Washington state university, and a couple overseas firms.
With marijuana use continuing to see explosive worldwide growth, I have seen estimates for the safety device industry as high as $10 Billion.
As marijuana legalization spreads across the country and the world, the need to get rapid and reliable testing methods to law enforcement officers will only increase. "There's no projections right now for how big the marijuana breathalyzer market will be but with close to 18,000 U.S. state and local law enforcement agencies as of July 2016, the market is huge." The marijuana breathalyzer and cannabis safety industry is projected to be a $10 Billion market.
