Colorado passes first law in the US to ban arrests based solely on these drug tests
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Colorado has passed the first U.S. law banning arrests based solely on colorimetric drug test results, addressing the high rate of false positives from these inexpensive, quick field tests widely used by law enforcement.
- Colorimetric tests, costing $2 to $10, detect drugs by chemical color changes but often mistake common substances like bird droppings, sugar, or prescription medications for narcotics, leading to wrongful arrests and legal struggles.
- Cases highlighted include a man falsely charged with cocaine possession due to bird poop, a toddler’s ashes misidentified as drugs, and a great-grandmother wrongly accused of cocaine possession while hospitalized, prompting legislative action.
- More accurate electronic drug testing devices exist but are costly ($24,000 to $80,000), limiting widespread use; Colorado’s new law requires confirmation beyond presumptive field tests to prevent unjust charges.
- Advocates argue investing in better testing technology would reduce false arrests, save taxpayer money, and improve justice system efficiency by minimizing unnecessary prosecutions and jail overcrowding.
