Buzz kill: California police work to detect drugged drivers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Police in three California counties are testing what amounts to a breathalyzer for drug users — a device that some authorities and lawmakers said Wednesday is desperately needed now that voters have legalized recreational marijuana in the state.
When legalization takes full effect next year, California will become the world’s largest market for pot.
Yet California is among the states with legalized marijuana that are struggling to find a reliable test and gauge for marijuana impairment that can stand up in court and lead to convictions.
Law enforcement and academic experts say settling on such a test is complicated because drugs affect everyone differently and there is wide variation in the potency of pot and other drugs and the way they are consumed. As a result, there is no consensus on what level amounts to impairment.