One of the most commonly used Cannabis detection methods may be responsible for the wrongful convictions of thousands of people.
According to AlterNet, the 'Duquenois-Levine' test, widely used by police forces as a screening test for Cannabis, is non-specific and may produce false positive. In fact, the manufacturers of the test stress that it should only be used as a preliminary screening test, prior to more specific testing methods.
Yet the test is routinely presented as the only evidence in cannabis use/possession charges.
Science Blog also covers this story.
Natural News ran a similar story back in 2009, stating cases where NIK tests were falsely flagging soaps and chocolates as narcotics and/or Cannabis.
Stop The Drug War ran the expose in 2009
The Australian Hemp Embassy is also re-reporting the story from AlterNet.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
1000's of Cannabis Convictions May be Based on Flawed Evidence
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1 comments:
The science validiadting this test as weak and non-specific has been known for years. Even some common over the counter medicines lead to false positives. The DL reagents are used to extract a confession (plea bargain) which is even more dispicable. In a zero tollerance world, such tests pass muster for detecting 'evil' - we may has well use the Salem test and dunk people.
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