"The Hound marijuana breathalyzer is exactly the tool that we need to address the existing issue of marijuana-impaired driving on our roads," said Patrick Walsh, Chief of Police in Lompoc, CA. "I have been involved in hundreds of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests throughout my career and know that law enforcement, from both large cities and small communities, is clamoring for a device that can easily be used with existing protocols, while providing objective measurements on recent marijuana use. We are looking for the least invasive way to obtain information that indicates impairment, which is why we are participating in roadside tests. We don't want to arrest people who are not impaired, and yet we don't want marijuana users driving if they are high from recent use."
In December 2015, Hound Labs Inc. became the first company to develop a proprietary scientific method to not only detect THC in breath but also to measure it in parts per trillion (picograms). The unique capabilities of the Hound breathalyzer offers a solution for addressing the growing issue of marijuana-impaired drivers in a manner that aligns with the interests of law enforcement, legislators, pro-marijuana advocates, and the estimated 33 million adult users of marijuana. No one wants drivers detained or wrongfully arrested because residual THC was detected days or even weeks after use. That's the fundamental flaw of current detection methods that rely on tests of bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, and urine – methods that cannot isolate recent use because they detect THC long after the window of impairment. Measuring THC in breath is the only method that isolates recent use and provides the measurements legislators need to craft meaningful legislation that avoids wrongful arrests and assures users that they will not be subjected to unnecessary tests of their saliva and blood which do not correlate with impairment.
"We have deep experience solving complex scientific and technical problems and we are excited to work with Hound Labs to realize their vision of bringing forensic lab capabilities to the field," commented Joe Heanue, CEO and Co-Founder of Triple Ring Technologies, the high-tech engineering firm that has formed a strategic partnership with Hound Labs, Inc. "In a relatively short period of time we have been able to leverage our extensive team of scientists and engineers to translate Hound Labs' breakthrough science into a working prototype that can be used effectively, at the roadside, while incorporating their proprietary technology that has been validated against mass spectrometry, the gold standard of laboratory measurements."
"It is very rewarding, both professionally and personally, to identify the need for a product that will save countless lives, to develop the solution to an incredibly difficult scientific challenge, and then to create the product – the only marijuana breathalyzer that can measure THC in breath with results that match the best laboratory equipment," said Dr. Mike Lynn, CEO and Co-Founder of Hound Labs Inc. "I feel very fortunate that I have been able to use my experience both as an active reserve deputy sheriff and as a practicing ER physician to create a device that affordably solves an escalating public health crisis. For the first time, communities across the country will have access to the science and technology required to tackle the growing costs that result from people driving under the influence of marijuana."
About Hound Labs Inc.
Hound Labs Inc. is a scientific device company that has worked to develop the first technology capable of rapidly, accurately, and inexpensively measuring the levels of marijuana in a person's breath. Founded in 2014, the Oakland-based company was created by Dr. Mike Lynn, an ER physician, reserve deputy sheriff, and former venture capitalist and his co-founder Mr. Kuni Oh, a patent attorney with a deep technical background in engineering and science. For more information, visit
www.houndlabs.com
.
