Drug testing limits police don't want drivers to know under scrutiny
The exact concentration of cannabis in a driver's saliva that produces a positive drug test has long been guarded closely by New South Wales Police.
The detection limit for the DrugWipe 3S device used by NSW Police in roadside drug testing was revealed as 50 nanograms per millilitre amid discussions on reforms for drivers using medicinal cannabis. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison disclosed this figure to a parliamentary committee, despite police efforts to keep the limits confidential.
The device, made by German company Securetec, is capable of detecting cannabis levels as low as 5 nanograms per millilitre but has been set at 50 ng/ml. This threshold, which is higher than the Australian and New Zealand standards of 15 ng/ml, has raised concerns, particularly for medicinal cannabis patients. The Labor bill proposing a legal limit for medicinal cannabis patients aims to give two warnings every two years, with a third strike resulting in a minimum three-month licence suspension.
Police use the DrugWipe device, which provides a positive or negative result, but the laboratory result determines if a driver is prosecuted. The threshold for charging medicinal cannabis patients who have used up their warnings would be 50 ng/ml.
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