Weed breathalyzer snags $30 million in funding
The world’s first weed breathalyzer could be on its way to a concert near you.
Hound Labs caught a boost in Series D funding to create a device it says can detect THC on a subject's breath.
A company looking to create the first THC breathalyzer said Tuesday it's raised $30 million in Series D funding. Hound Labs is aiming to enable law enforcement and employers to conduct quick drug screenings with the device, which is on track to be released this winter. The device has raised concerns about accuracy and legal implications, however.
"In order to solve the challenge of determining recent marijuana use, we spent five years developing new technology that enables unparalleled low levels of detection in a portable device," Hound Labs co-founder Dr. Mike Lynn said in a release earlier this year.
"We have been testing this technology in collaboration with one of the world's premier research universities. After years of research and development, we are excited to have validated the Hound science and technology that will advance our collective understanding of THC in breath."
In July, Hound Labs paid researchers to get 20 people high. Once the subjects smoked cannabis, researchers tested them and found THC could be detected in minute amounts in the breath after the subjects smoked.
Hound Labs said the device can also detect THC ingested via cannabis-infused foods.
