Several States Working On Marijuana Breathalyzer

While many agree that marijuana should be legal in all states, there is also a stance that it should be treated just like alcohol.  Is that even possible?

I am one to agree that marijuana needs to be treated just like alcohol. Even though I also agree that is much safer than alcohol, there are some who just shouldn't be driving while high. That being said, I know hundreds of people who smoke marijuana on a daily basis and have never been in an accident. Believe it or not, marijuana is safer than alcohol in every aspect.

The difference about testing for marijuana and alcohol is very difficult, though. Alcohol is water soluble and absorbed through the bloodstream, and out of your system in 24 hours when it can no longer be detected. Marijuana, though, is 100% different in the fact that the active ingredient, THC, is stored in fat cells and can be stored there for days or even weeks or months for daily users. A person who smokes a few hits on Friday night could still test positive on Monday and be fired from a job.

I hardly see this as fair. Canada has been on it now for several years and claims to be on the verge of coming up with something accurate. There are also several companies here in the United States that have been working on their own versions which function pretty much like an alcohol breathalyzer.

Testing methods and tolerances should be changed. If a person wants to smoke a joint over the weekend, or even after work, they shouldn't have to be worried about getting fired for it. It's easy to spot those who have never used it and they stick out like a sore thumb in their comments about it. A person who "gets high" is no longer "high" within about an hour after using it and as sober as can be; unlike alcohol.

This is twofold for me. If you are driving while high, there should be ramifications but coming up with a breathalyzer for THC is very hard to do. Laws should also change to allow for the fact that THC is stored in fat cells and can be detected LONG after someone has even used it. Someone who stands to lose their job because they smoked a joint a week earlier is hardly fair.

Alcohol is the most deadly thing on the planet so perhaps we should be treating for what it is and does. Too much profit to lose though from big business. Alcohol destroys more people and families than anything else known to man, but society just doesn't care.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Find better testing methods! Marijuana has been around for thousands of years and will be around for thousands more, as will alcohol. If they can invent a breathalyzer for alcohol, we can surely find an accurate testing method for THC.