California to Experiment with Drug Detection Technology

 Posted on May 02, 2015 in Drug Crimes

California lawmakers are considering a proposal that would allow police officers to use a special gadget that would help detect if a person is driving under the influence of drugs.

California lawmakers are considering allowing officers to use a special gadget that would allow them to detect the presence of drugs in a person’s system. The gadget would be similar to a breathalyzer that detects alcohol in a person’s system, but would be based on testing of saliva swabs. A new California bill Assembly Bill 1356, if passed, would allow law enforcement officers in California to use a specially - designed gadget to detect the presence of drugs in a motorist’s system.

The gadget is called the DDS 2 MOBILE TEST SYSTEM, and is a lightweight device that comes with a full color screen. The device is readable in all kinds of visibility conditions, and is capable of storing 10,000 results. Results can be printed out at the end of the testing.

Under the proposal, law-enforcement officers would be allowed to stop motorists, and test saliva samples for drugs in the system. The system is more than 90% accurate, and its designers say the test results are immediately available.

However, there are quite a few hurdles to cross before the technology becomes available in police departments in California. For one thing, the gadget is expensive, and there's no government funding. If any California police department wants to invest in this technology, it has to pay for the gadget out of its own pocket. Additionally, there are several questions that have been raised about how the device will treat motorists who have a medical marijuana permit, and are driving with traces of pot in their system.