MoeBro said:
I don't believe that the testers test for metabolites, but more the presence of the actual drug on your saliva.
You rip a cone, you'll have remnants of that delightful smoke left in your mouth. You'll have THC coursing through your arteries too (until it all gets metabolized).
Same again with a line or whatnot
Mebbe the testers test for the drugs themselves, not the metabolites?
Exactly right. The tests they are using in Vic (which is still set to go live on the 1st of Dec) test for the active substance only. So despite the fact that they would be able to develop testers to determine use of susbtances at all, these tests are only concerned with whether you are under the influence RIGHT NOW. Because of this, (and the fact that as MoeBro said the substances they test for are not legal), the tolerance is 0, that is, if they detect ANY active substance, you're going down.
I've done some testing with the devices they propose to use in Vic, and they are acurate. They will pick up substances for the hours immediately following use. For example, if you have had nothing, and then have a line of speed, the tests will show up positive for roughly 4 hours afterwoods (obviously the timeframe depends on many factors and this should NOT be taken as gospel)
After an even in Melb recently we tested a willing guinea-pig who had taken their last 1/2 pill (of 2 in total through the night) 3.5 hours before. The test showed up negative. We also tested another guinea-pig for amphetamines who had taken a fair amount of Meth through the night/day and while he had not had any for around 5 hours before the test, the result was a resounding positive.
The results will vary for each individual depending on many things including your metabolism, the quantity and purity of the drug consumed, and because of the interaction between different drugs, what else you have taken will play a part as well.
It's important to note that these tests are not designed to give qualative or quantative results. They give a simple Yes/No result, which determines if you are free to go, or it you are detained for a further test using field adapted lab equipment. The further tests are 100% accurate, and will tell them what you have had, and how much you still have in you.
The short version of all of this is that if you have had any drugs recently,
DON'T DRIVE. Apart from the risk to yourself and others, the technology and the desire to catch and charge Drug-Drivers is very real and is coming very soon to a road near you.