'Potalyzer' Would Help Cops Test for Marijuana DUI Cases, Stanford Researchers Say

Thinking of toking and driving? The roach in your ashtray and your blood shot eyes may not be the only way for police to tell you are heading out to pick up snacks to quell those munchies.

The next time you light up before hitting the road, you could get 'lit up' by a police officer, thanks to a "potalyzer" developed by Stanford researchers in Palo Alto. Officers may soon have the new instrument at their disposal to help them determine if a motorist is driving under the influence of marijuana.

Currently four states allow marijuana use for recreational purposes — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — while some two dozen allow its use with a medical prescription. That number is expected to grow this November as voters decide statewide ballot measures.

But in those states where marijuana use is legal, driving under the influence is not. Currently the only way to test for marijuana is through a blood or urine test. But Stanford University researchers have stepped into the void with a roadside tool. They've applied magnetic nanotechnology previously used as a cancer screen to test for THC, marijuana's most potent psychoactive agent. They're calling the gadget a practical “potalyzer.” According to Stanford News Service, "officers could collect a spit sample with a cotton swab and read the results on a smartphone or laptop in as little as three minutes."

And that's not all. The biosensors in the device could also be set to detect any small molecule, meaning that the platform could also test for morphine, heroin, cocaine or other drugs.

Don't expect to see a "potalyzer" at the next DUI checkpoint you go through. The device is being refined, and then it needs to go through field tests and be approved by regulators before it can be used by police.

The Stanford research was led by Shan Wang, a professor of materials science and engineering; and electrical engineering.

Read more about the research here.

• Also see: Court Upholds Ban On Gun Sales To CA Medical Marijuana Users, Cardholders

(Patch file photo by Daniel Lane)