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EVENTS

Building a Path Forward for Meaningful Cannabis Breathalyzer Realization

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Building a Path Forward for Meaningful Cannabis Breathalyzer Realization

We are bringing together participants from government, forensic laboratories, industry, academia, law enforcement agencies, and standards organizations to foster an open and candid discussion for a broad view of the path forward to realize meaningful cannabis breathalyzer technology and implementation. 

Final NIST Workshop Agenda.pdf

 

Wednesday-September 24, 2025

9:00 – 9:45Welcome, Introductions, and Workshop Goalsby Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST
9:45 – 10:45

Plenary Presentation by Marilyn Huestis, AB, MS, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University,

Huestis & SmithToxicology LLC

10:45 – 11:00Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:30

Company Poster Session: Device Discussion and Demonstrations

Moderator: Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST

Abacus Diagnostics/Narcotrace • CANNABIX Technologies Inc. • Engenious Design • Lifeloc Technologies • Mindr/Intoxalock • Munkplast AB • Ricovr Healthcare Inc. • Smart Start Inc. • SpectraCann Ltd.

12:30 – 1:30Catered Lunch Buffet
1:30 – 3:00

Panel 1 – The Colorado Legal Landscape: Current Practices and Challenges Moderator: Judge Mary Celeste(retired), Organizer of the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium from 2022-2025

  • Tuesday Black, MA – Impaired Driving Grant Specialist and DRE & SFST Program Manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Highway Safety Office (HSO); Co-chair of CANNRA's Impaired Driving and Traffic Safety Committee
  • Mark Ashby, BS – Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) &Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) State Coordinator, CDOT
  • Vanessa Beall, MS, D-ABFT-FT – Toxicology ProgramManager/Laboratory Manager, Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
3:00 – 3:15Coffee Break
3:15 – 4:00

Breakout Session 1: Do we have consensus on long-held beliefs and about the aspects of breathalyzer science that directly relate to forensic toxicology?

Moderator: Kavita Jeerage, PhD, NIST

4:00 – 5:15

Breakout Session 1: Group reports and discussion

Moderators: Tara Lovestead & Kavita Jeerage

5:15 – 5:30Closing remarks by TaraLovestead, PhD, NIST
7:00 – 9:00

Optional Dinner at the BoulderDushanbe Teahouse, 1770 13th Street, Boulder

*See details on next page*

Thursday, September 25, 2025

9:00 – 9:30Welcome and Reflections on Day 1 by Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST
9:30 – 10:45

Panel 2 – Conformity and Limitations: Challenges to Adopting New Technology

Moderator: Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST

  • Tara Kelley-Baker, PhD – Chief,Impaired Driving Division, Department of Transportation

    National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT/NHTSA)

  • Chris Heartsill, BS, D-ABFT-FT – Regional Toxicology Liaison for NHTSA
10:45 – 11:00Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30Presentation on NIST’s Role in Advancing Industry Solutions Through a Consortium by Kavita Jeerage, PhD, NIST
11:30 – 12:30Catered Lunch Buffet
12:30 – 2:30

Panel 3 – HumanSubjects Study Design: Identifying Gaps and Needed Studies

Moderator: Kavita Jeerage,PhD, NIST

  • Marilyn Huestis, AB, MS, PhD – SeniorFellow, Institute for Emerging HealthProfessions,

    Thomas Jefferson Univ.; President, Huestis & SmithToxicology, LLC

  • Ashley Brooks-Russell, PhD, MPH – Associate Prof., Colorado School of Public Health and

    Director of the Injury& Violence Prevention Center, Univ. of Colorado Anschutz Medical

  • Jennifer Berry, PhD – Research Chemist, NIST

  • Tom Marcotte, PhD – Prof.of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Centerfor Medicinal Cannabis

    Research, Univ. of California San Diego

2:30 – 2:45Coffee Break
2:45 – 3:30Breakout Session 2: Towards consensus on device validation criteria, research data sets, and standards needed to advance cannabis breathalyzer development Moderator: Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST
3:30 – 4:45

Breakout Session 2: Group reports and discussion

Moderators: Tara Lovestead & Kavita Jeerage

4:45 – 5:00Closing remarks by Tara Lovestead, PhD, NIST
5:00 – 6:00Optional timefor scheduled meetings with NIST staff

RSVP for dinner September 24 to Robin.McHale [at] nist.gov (Robin[dot]McHale[at]nist[dot]gov)

The Teahouse is in between Arapahoe and Canyon Avenues on 13th Street. On the street parking is available on both 13th and 14th Streets, simply look for the City of Boulder Parking kiosks. https://www.boulderteahouse.com/faq

Bioscience, Biometrology, Chemistry, Analytical chemistry, Chemical thermodynamics and chemical properties, Forensic Science, Drugs and toxicology, Manufacturing, Additive manufacturing, Materials, Materials characterization, Modeling and computational material science, Polymers, Mathematics and statistics, Modeling and simulation research, Statistical analysis, Uncertainty quantification, Metrology, Amount of substance, Mass metrology, Public safety, Chemical / Biological / Radiological / Nuclear / Explosives (CBRNE), Law enforcement, Standards, Quality assurance, Reference data, Reference materials, Standards education and Technology transfer
Created January 7, 2025, Updated September 22, 2025
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