The Warren County, PA District Attorney's Office will deploy the Gaize rapid screening technology for cannabis and other drugs to combat impaired driving.

MISSOULA, MONTANA, USA, March 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Gaize, Inc. and Warren County, PA District Attorney’s Office is announcing a pilot of the Gaize rapid screening device for the detection of impairment from cannabis and other drugs in motorists. The Gaize device is an automated eye-movement based screening test that detects impairment using the same eye movement tests and indicators of impairment that Drug Recognition Expert police officers have been using for decades. The tests are conducted using a VR headset, which captures eye movement video and data. The data is analyzed using machine learning and statistical algorithms to precisely detect the subtle eye movement changes that happen as a result of consuming drugs. Gaize recently conducted the world’s largest clinical trial on cannabis impairment and is now rolling the device out to the first customers. The Gaize device has already been delivered to the Warren County DA’s office and training is now underway.

About the pilot, Warren County District Attorney Robert C. Greene, stated the following: “Marijuana use is here and has been for decades. Pennsylvania (PA) has legalized the medical use of marijuana and recreational adult use is right around the corner. Every state surrounding Pennsylvania has legalized medical marijuana and more importantly, Warren County borders the State of New York which has legalized recreational use. The goal is to keep Warren County citizens safe from impaired drivers.

Currently, in Pennsylvania, an individual cannot drive if there is ANY marijuana metabolite in their blood. Therefore, if an individual is completely sober, but legally used marijuana in the weeks prior to driving on PA roads, they are driving illegally according to PA law and can be arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence, see 75 Pa.C.S.A.§3802(d)(1)(iii). And yes, this happens every day in Pennsylvania.

We are excited about the opportunity to work with Gaize in testing their product.”

Gaize conducts tests such as Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Lack of Convergence, Pupillary Rebound Dilation, and others, entirely automatically. This allows for the capture of high-value video evidence within minutes. Further the data is analyzed and results reported in seconds for an accurate, fair and objective determination of suspected impairment. Within six minutes, impairment screening can now be performed for cannabis, alcohol, stimulants, opiates and other drugs.

Since some drug effects can wear off in the time between a traffic stop and Drug Recognition Expert evaluation, the ability to rapidly capture eye movement video could be a valuable asset for prosecuting impaired drivers.

Ken Fichtler, Gaize’s CEO, said “We’re proud to be working with Warren County to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Gaize impairment screening solution. We believe that the ability to quickly and accurately detect the signs of impairment from cannabis and other drugs solves a critical safety challenge. Further, the video evidence generated by the device will be a useful tool in corroborating the findings of law enforcement officers, as well as in training them.

Cannabis is an incredibly challenging substance when compared to alcohol. The very long half-life in the body of THC and related metabolites is confounding to all chemical tests – only allowing for the discovery of prior use, not active impairment. Gaize on the other hand is only used to discover impairment as it’s happening, which is exactly what law enforcement and business leaders need to know.”

The product is being rolled out to business customers internationally while other law enforcement agencies around the country are performing similar evaluations of the technology.

Ken Fichtler
Gaize, Inc.
+1 406-518-1894
email us here