Skip to main content

As legal weed sweeps the nation, startups race to make a breathalyzer for marijuana

The days of rolling down the street smokin’ indo may come to a screeching halt when marijuana breathalyzers hit the market as soon as next year. Hound Labs and Cannabix Technologies are at least two of the companies that have plans to manufacture marijuana breathalyzers for law enforcement agencies and employers. Both have developed their own technology for the forthcoming marijuana-detection devices, mainly intended to identify impaired drivers.

Hound Labs uses chemistry, fluidics (the use of fluid flows or jets for functions usually performed by electronic devices), and engineering to measure small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (more commonly known as THC, the active ingredient in weed) in breath. THC is measured in picograms, or parts per trillion, Hound Labs Chief Marketing Officer Jenny Lynn said in an email to Digital Trends.

Recommended Videos

“Current methods cannot conclude whether someone used marijuana moments before driving down a freeway”

“In a relatively short period of time, we have been able to leverage our extensive team of scientists and engineers to translate Hound Labs’ breakthrough science into a working prototype that can be used effectively, at the roadside, while incorporating their proprietary technology that has been validated against mass spectrometry, the gold standard of laboratory measurements,” Joe Heanue, CEO and Co-Founder of Triple Ring Technologies, the high-tech engineering firm that has formed a strategic partnership with Hound Labs, Inc, stated in a press release.

Cannabix Technologies, which has teamed up with Yost Research Group at the University of Florida, combines high-field asymmetrical waveform ion mobility and mass spectrometry (FAIMS) for its marijuana breathalyzers, Cannabix Technologies President and Director Kal Malhi told Digital Trends.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to the Yost Research Group website, “FAIMS involves separation based on the inherent differences in an ion’s mobility in high and low electric fields, and can be performed at atmospheric pressure and room temperature.”

The current methods to detect THC test saliva, sweat, blood, or urine, but they cannot conclude whether someone used marijuana moments before driving down a freeway, or at a weekend party, or as a sleep aid two weeks ago.

“ … THC stays in body fluids for many days or even weeks,” said Lynn from Hound Labs. “Breath is the exception. THC can only be measured in breath for a couple of hours, then it disappears. This two-hour period aligns with the window of impairment identified by researchers.”

Cannabix Technologies stated in a press release that it is also navigating the two-hour window at the time of testing for optimal breathalyzer results. Its breathalyzer “consists of proprietary components, including a generator enabled by the latest chip technology to provide extremely fast high-voltage square wave transitions that significantly improve chemical separations, and a novel plasma ionization source that provides efficient ionization with a relatively small footprint.”

Hound Labs has conducted tests with the volunteered cooperation of several law enforcement departments across California, reports LA Weekly. Cannabix “expects to begin pre-trial live subject testing during the month of March.”

Hound Labs, based in Oakland, will produce The Hound marijuana breathalyzer at the end of 2017, according to Lynn. The forthcoming marijuana-detection apparatus from Cannabix Technologies, based in Vancouver, B.C., needs more testing. The company has a projected production timeline of 12 to 18 months from now.

“We [still] need to conduct scientific trials and get the device approved as a court certified device for use by law enforcement,” said Malhi from Cannabix Technologies. “As with any government approval, exact timing is unknown.”

Concerned marijuana consumers themselves will be able to check themselves before they wreck themselves behind the wheel or in the workplace, as Hound Labs also plans to provide breathalyzers for individual consumer use.

Jaime Dunkle
Jaime Dunkle specializes in multimedia storytelling and data analysis. Her writing, photography and digital media has won…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more