When it comes to identifying if an individual is driving under the influence of alcohol, field sobriety tests and breathalyzer tests can help officers hone in on whether or not a person is likely intoxicated. However, since there is no breath test for determining if an individual is under the influence of marijuana, police oftentimes rely heavily on field sobriety tests alone, and new research says that these tests are incredibly unreliable for determining if a person is under the influence of marijuana. We explore what the latest study says about roadside tests for marijuana impairment in today’s blog.
Field Sobriety Tests For Marijuana
A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry took a closer look at how well field sobriety tests could predict whether or not a person was under the influence of marijuana. For the study, 184 adult cannabis users were given either a THC cannabis cigarette or a placebo. On average, participants who were given the THC cigarette rated their highness at a level of 64 out of 100, suggesting they were quite affected by the THC. All members were then put through field sobriety tests by trained law enforcement officers. Here are the most interesting findings from the study:
- One hour after smoking, law enforcement correctly identified 81% of those who had smoked the THC cigarette after putting the individual through field sobriety tests.
- One hour after smoking, law enforcement incorrectly labeled 49% of those in the placebo group as having smoked the THC cigarette based on their field sobriety test results.
So while field sobriety tests helped law enforcement hone in on more than 80% of those who had smoked the THC cigarette, the test also falsely implicated roughly half of the placebo group! This led the authors to one clear conclusion.
“Field sobriety tests are useful additions to overall evaluations of drivers, but are not accurate enough on their own to determine THC impairment,” said first author Thomas Marcotte, PhD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at UC San Diego. “New effective measures for identifying cannabis impairment are needed to ensure the safety of all drivers on the road.”
The fact that field sobriety tests get it wrong roughly half the time when it comes to identifying drivers who are under the influence of marijuana should be a major red flag to any organizations who currently rely heavily on these tests as the main way to determine if someone is driving under the influence of drugs. Any other evidence collection tool that got it wrong half the time would be laughed out of the courtroom, and these tests are clearly not a great standalone tactic for determining someone’s cognitive ability. We understand that current resources are limited, but that doesn’t mean law enforcement should lean on outdated and inaccurate methods until a better solution comes along.
We look forward to contesting any field sobriety results in court, and would be happy to tear apart any prosecution that puts your test results as the focal point of their case. Let us help build a strong defense that showcases how inaccurate these tests are and help you get the justice you deserve.
For more information, or for help with your criminal case, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
