With cannabis legalization pushing into more states every year, public safety officials and law enforcement officers alike are still trying to figure out how to detect cannabis in drivers and effectively police cannabis DUIs. In Washington State, where cannabis has been legal since 2012, researchers say that they’re close to perfecting a marijuana breathalyzer, and now they just need some helpful stoners to make sure it works.
According to local Washington CBS station KREM, researchers at Washington State University have put out a call for paid subjects to visit local pot shops, smoke their favorite strains and then let the scientists do a few tests. Basically, it’s the best job in the world.
The WSU professors and research assistants in charge of the study have been looking into a breathalyzer that can detect “acute exposure” to THC since 2010, and the team is confident that they will be able to perfect an accurate roadside test for potentially high drivers.
“Law enforcement and businesses are struggling to enforce a no drug policy in legalized states. Often times, they have to wait for test results. This tool helps both government agencies and businesses get fast results to determine who is in fact under the influence,” research team member Nathan Weller explained.
As for the test subjects, you must be 21 years or older to participate, but if you’re chosen you’ll be paid $30 for the first hour of work and $10/hour for the rest of the study. To make sure that none of the participants are driving high on their way to the study, taxi cabs will be sent to shuttle the subjects from their home to the lab and back.
The study is slated to start next week and run through the first half of June, so if you’re in the pacific northwest looking for a way to get paid for your weekly visit to the pot shop, it might be time to make your way over to Washington State University.
