Michigan Companies Testing Device to Check for Cannabis Use at Work

Nearly six years after Michigan voters made the use of recreational marijuana legal in our state, companies continue to face one issue:  Testing employees for pot use at work.

Traditional drug tests are only capable of providing vague results, using blood, urine, or hair samples that can only detect the use of cannabis within the last 30 days or more.

New Breathalyzer Technology Emerges

While using marijuana recreationally is legal in Michigan and more than a dozen other states, an overwhelming majority of employers prohibit employees from using weed or being stoned while they're on the job.

New technology is emerging that is able to detect if an individual is currently under the influence of cannabis. A breathalyzer device, similar to those used by police agencies to determine the blood-alcohol level of motorists, and the manufacturer says the device detects the presence of THC during a much smaller window, or shorter period of time than traditional tests.

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Hound Labs says its device can provide test results that isolate recent marijuana use from overall use in order to help employers remain fair and protect employee privacy.

Deployment in Michigan

According to Detroit's WXYZ-TV, the company has deployed about two dozen of these devices to companies in Michigan, although the names of those employers have not been released.

The TV station notes that Hound Labs has future plans to market its breathalyzer product to law enforcement agencies.