Pubdate: Wed, 30 Dec 2015
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2015 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Griffin Swartzell

THC BREATHALYZER IN THE WORKS, EDIPURE EDIBLES RECALLED, AND MORE.

Blowing smoke

Professor Herb Hill is designing a marijuana breath test to help 
police detect stoned drivers. Hill, who teaches chemistry at 
Washington State University, found out how tricky it can be to 
identify stoned drivers from a colleague in political science.

"I said, 'Why don't we have a Breathalyzer for that?' He said none 
exists," Hill told NPR. "I said, 'We can probably make one.'" NPR 
reports preliminary testing has proven the basic concept: Hill's 
prototype can detect THC. But it's far from mass implementation. The 
device needs to be calibrated against blood tests to figure what it 
will read when a driver is legally intoxicated. Further adjustments 
will account for "gender, race, body types and level of use," 
according to the report.

"In the beginning at least this would not be used as evidential 
information," Hill said. "It would be used as screening information 
to help the officer say he should take a blood sample now."

Other research teams working on breath tests include Colorado-based 
Lifeloc Technologies; Vancouver, British Columbia-based Cannabix 
Technologies; and, reportedly, several teams across Europe.

Bad medicine

Denver-based marijuana edibles producer EdiPure has issued a recall 
for seven products that tested positive for pesticides. The city of 
Denver reports any cherry bombs (250 or 500 mg), sour bears (250 mg), 
peach tarts (250 or 500 mg), watermelon tarts (500 mg) or mixed drops 
(500 mg) with batch numbers ending in 1386 should be disposed of or 
returned to where they were purchased. There have been no reports of illness.

The Cannabist reports this is EdiPure's fourth recall since Oct. 30, 
all for pesticide contamination. EdiPure blames Gobi Analytical, the 
private lab that tests pesticides for the city of Denver. EdiPure's 
spokesperson, Kyle Forti, told The Cannabist the company will soon 
release "definitive information" to back up claims that Gobi's 
methods are "[more] voodoo math and junk science than certified and 
standard scientific testing methods."

The Independent attempted to reach EdiPure but received no response 
by press time. For a full list of marijuana edibles recalls, go to 
dpo.st/1J3Ap2L.

Keef crumbs

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, the Poudre School District 
suspended or expelled at least 60 students for marijuana-related 
offenses this fall semester. The district has no idea if that number 
is high, low or average. State laws requiring school districts to 
track marijuana offenses only kicked in this July. Previously, the 
district lumped in marijuana offenses with all drug offenses. Though 
the district lacks information on pre-Amendment 64 marijuana 
offenses, the new data measurements should be effective in tracking 
future drug-use reduction efforts.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom