#ChrisFowlie goes all through a list of false positives that can occur with the government's proposed roadside drug testing tech;

"Speaking of going to the dentist, if you have some lidocaine you'll test positive for cocaine. If you're on a painkiller of some sort, you'll test positive for heroin. If you're on Ritalin you'll test positive for meth."

https://feeds.95bfm.com/link/22115/16924333/marijuana-media-thanks-to-the-hempstore-thursday-19-2024

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#podcasts #95bFM #MarijuanaMedia #DrugDriving #RoadsideTesting

Marijuana Media Thanks to The Hempstore : Thursday 19, 2024

This week on Marijuana Media, Chris joins Milly to chat developments in the roadside drug testing policies, our ageing population on weed, what not to use as fertilizer, and Elton John's opinon on legalized marijuana is put in the superstar spotlight! Thanks to The Hempstore!

95bFM

"It goes on. If you're prescribed sleeping pills you'll test positive to benzodiazepines. So as well as the inaccuracy of the test, you also get these false positives to other substances."

#ChrisFowlie, 2024

https://feeds.95bfm.com/link/22115/16924333/marijuana-media-thanks-to-the-hempstore-thursday-19-2024

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Marijuana Media Thanks to The Hempstore : Thursday 19, 2024

This week on Marijuana Media, Chris joins Milly to chat developments in the roadside drug testing policies, our ageing population on weed, what not to use as fertilizer, and Elton John's opinon on legalized marijuana is put in the superstar spotlight! Thanks to The Hempstore!

95bFM

Chris also mentioned that the #NZGreens are fighting tooth and nail against the amendment to the Land Transport Act that would bring in this highly dodgy testing. On the basis that it violates a bunch of basic civil liberties.

Another good sign for their return to a focus on universal human rights and freedoms. On top of Kahurangi Taylor's bill on protecting satire from copyright SLAPPs, and Marama Davidson's Right to Repair bill, this makes the trifecta.

Keep fighting the good fight!

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@strypey

Most sleeping pills are Benzodiazepines.
So a test _should_ be positive for presence of them or active metabolites. It isn't a false positive.

The level, and the degree of effect, `are then worth establishing or arguing about.

I'd assume the existence of a prescription would be a substantial assistance to the driver.

@midgephoto
> I'd assume the existence of a prescription would be a substantial assistance to the driver

You'd assume wrong. AFAIK that can only be introduced as a defence once you're in court. For taking prescription medicine that a dodgy screening test has misidentified.

@strypey

IANAL, but I'd expect it to be asked for, examined if necessary, and considered well before court, as in being indications not to take someone to court if they were not clearly unsafe driving.

And, if someone is taking a prescription sleeping tablet, which _will_ be a Benzodiazepine, they _will_ be impaired to some extent*, and a test which identifies the presence of Benzo metabolites will not have been dodgy in doing so.

* How much is another matter.

@strypey

On the question of how much, military pilots relocated are regarded as more impaired by the lack of sleep than they will be the day after a single small dose of a rapid offsetting Benzodiazepine that got them to sleep.

So the compounds are used if needed.

But giving someone their first dose of Diazepam and putting them in a fast jet is clearly likely to end badly.

In between and in cars, is a matter for Parliaments and Courts and policed.

Drive safely. Please leave it now.