Scientists Have Devised A Simple Test For Marijuana Consumption

Researchers discovered that their quick test could consistently identify THC in a person’s saliva in just 5 minutes in an initial investigation. The main element in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Scientists could be one move nearer to building a marijuana-detection device similar to a Breathalyzer.

THC levels in the blood and urine are currently the “gold standard” for diagnosing marijuana usage.

Scientists Have Devised A Simple Test For Marijuana Consumption

However, processing those results could require days. Another disadvantage is that without alcohol, THC can stay in the system for hours and even weeks, meaning that a “positive” screening test does not always indicate recent use.

Though it is a little tricky to know and prove that one has consumed some substances which are not permissible under local law, many options are offered by medical science to help the authorities.

Scientists Have Devised A Simple Test For Marijuana Consumption

The new device developed by experts can be termed breakthrough in this direction as with the help of the same, it becomes easy to know if one has consumed marijuana or any of its substances which are not allowed by law.

THC in saliva, on the other hand, indicates marijuana usage during the previous 12 hours, according to Hakho Lee, the research’s main investigator. Because of these factors, developing roadside testing for marijuana usage, similar to the Breathalyzer utilized to monitor drivers’ alcohol concentrations, has been difficult.

Current saliva testing for THC was limited by factors such as long working duration or “binary” results, which are analogous to yes/no on a pregnant check.

Lee claims that his team was able to develop a test that not only identifies but also measures THC from saliva.

As per Lee, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Systems Biology in Boston, it took roughly 3 minutes from “sample in” to “result out.” It successfully detected THC in saliva specimens from all marijuana consumers in early screening with 43 marijuana consumers & 43 non-users.

A larger difficulty is that, unlike liquor, there was not a single THC concentration that constitutes “intoxication.” This is tricky, according to Lee, since the number of impairments linked with a specific THC content changes depending on whether the marijuana is taken as well as if the individual is a frequent consumer, among other factors.

Even so, Lee believes his group’s quick test may be beneficial for roadside screening of drivers accused of becoming inebriated with additional development. He also mentioned that there could be public submissions. One is to examine breast milk for THC to ensure that infants aren’t introduced to it accidentally.

According to Li, the hazard of marijuana usage individually is nearly as high as the danger of traveling while inebriated. However, drivers that utilize marijuana have nearly twice the chance of becoming engaged in a fatal accident as non-users, according to him. The test was subsequently used by the scientists to track how THC levels in marijuana consumers varied over time. THC concentrations in saliva decreased quite rapidly following subjects smoking the substance. However, they persisted around one ng/ml 6 hours later. The European Traveling Underneath the Influence of Alcohol, Alcohol, and Medicines project recommends this limit.

There’s also the increased frequency of marijuana usage, as Li pointed out. According to him, the percentage of severely wounded drivers with THC in the system had increased dramatically over the last two decades.

The current discoveries, according to Li, provide “proof of concept” for quick THC testing on the highway. But, he noted, “far more research is required until it could be utilized in the battlefield.”

The results were reported in Science Translational Medicine on Oct. 20. On the patent application for the test, Lee and other co-researchers are mentioned as innovators.

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