Take a Breath

With the rapid spread of legalized marijuana throughout the United States, employers have struggled with testing tools (e.g., urine and hair samples) dependent on metabolized CBD, which yield positive results many days or even months after the tested employee ingests cannabis. Hound Labs (houndlabs.com) has introduced a cannabis breathalyzer to the marketplace, and Concentra Health plans to roll the product out in Michigan beginning May 15.

According to Hound Labs, the breathalyzer detects cannabis use for up to three hours, i.e., a positive result means a tested employee has ingested cannabis within three hours of being tested. Such testing certainly offers a promise to employers who must focus on keeping the workplace safe without treating unfairly their employees’ after hours medical or recreational marijuana use.

I have not done any research to verify independently Hound Labs’ claims, nor have I explored market alternatives. The product certainly sounds promising, and it may be worth exploring depending on your workplace needs.