A Breathalyzer designed to determine whether someone is currently under the influence of cannabis is being used by employers in Michigan and is now offered at several medical centers around the state.
The device, developed by California-based Hound Labs Inc., is among the first to detect recent marijuana use, distinguishing it from other tests that indicate the presence of cannabis over an extended period.
"Our product has a specific purpose of deterring workday use whereas a lot of products out there, when that detection window is as long as it is, it's looking for habitual users," Tamanna Prashar, chief operating officer of Hound Labs, said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. "We want to make sure that you can use (a cannabis) product at any point in time — on your own personal time being the key word — but you're not basically unfairly dealt with if you do that."
Many Michigan employers have been reexamining drug testing policies over the past few decades, especially in 2008, when medical marijuana was legalized, and again in 2018, when recreational marijuana was legalized . More recently, some companies decided to no longer test new hires for marijuana because they didn't want to miss out on talent in a tight labor market.
A big challenge to testing employees for marijuana was the lack of a test that could detect recent usage. More available drug tests using urine, saliva and hair can detect THC in the body for several days, weeks and even months.
Yet, for those workplaces who do test for marijuana, positivity rates are rising in Michigan. Last year, the positivity rate for the Michigan workforce was 5.8%, compared with 3.1% for the general U.S. workforce, according to recently released data from Quest Diagnostics, a New Jersey-based company that analyzes millions of workplace drug tests every year. In Michigan, that percentage has steadily risen over the last four years, from 3.9% in 2019 to 5.2% in 2022.
Hound Labs' ability to detect for THC is "critical," given these rising rates, Prashar said. She said Michigan is a key state for the 10-year-old company given the large presence of manufacturing and the workplace safety needs that come into play.
There are more than 25 Breathalyzer devices in the state of Michigan and about 120 total around the U.S., according to Hound Labs. The tests also are available at all 19 Concentra medical centers across Michigan, according to Hound Labs and a Concentra spokesperson, including at centers in downtown Detroit, Warren, Southfield, Troy and Allen Park.
The tests can be used for preemployment drug screenings, random screenings, reasonable suspicion and post-accident, Prashar said.
"At the end of the day, laws are changing, policies are changing, but that the foundation of what we do, it's really to deter that use ... and focus on, how do we generate the right negative to always give the employee the benefit of the doubt," she said.
How a cannabis Breathalyzer works
The donor breathes into a mouthpiece for about two minutes, similar to how a Breathalyzer that detects alcohol works, and then that breath sample is preserved in a cartridge and sent off to Quest Diagnostics. It takes about 24 hours to receive a negative result and between 72-96 hours for a non-negative result, Prashar said.
New technology is scheduled to roll out later this year or early next year that offers results within 30 minutes, she said. Collectors would be on-site that are certified by Hound Labs to be able to run the test.
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Hound Labs plans to get user feedback from employers and then "on our road map is to engage law enforcement," but that's not something the company has approached yet.
In Michigan, drivers are prohibited from operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, including while being under the influence of marijuana.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan employers, medical centers using new Breathalyzer to detect recent cannabis use
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