Quest Diagnostics is rolling out a marijuana breathalyzer for businesses
Detecting cannabis as early as possible has become a priority among many law enforcement agencies and employers across the country. Thanks to technology implemented at Quest Diagnostics, the firm could become the only provider of a marijuana breathalyzer that can identify marijuana use within hours of testing.
After reaching an agreement with Hound Labs, Quest Diagnostics has succeeded in becoming the only provider of a breathalyzer capable of identifying same-day cannabis use. While some states continue to fight against discrimination against employees because of their cannabis use, employers in other areas can make decisions based on this.
By joining forces between the two companies, employers may now have the ability to identify whether an employee inhaled or ingested any type of cannabis-related substance immediately before or during the workday. The terms have indicated that Quest Diagnostics will use a new mass spectrometry-based technique it recently validated and developed to confirm the positive results released by the device.
“Cannabis legalization has prompted some employers to reconsider their workplace cannabis testing policies,” said Nina M. French, president of the employer and law enforcement division at Hound Labs. “They now need to know when an employee used cannabis to align test results more effectively with program objectives.”
The portable breathalyzer is expected to be delivered before 2022 comes to an end. It will be able to automatically process results on-site in a matter of minutes. Priced at $5,000, the company has commented that the market is primarily targeted at police and construction companies.