ORLANDO, Fla. – In the fight to keep synthetic marijuana off the streets, law enforcement officers have been fighting an uphill battle because they often couldn't tell which substances were banned and which were not.
Now the Orange County Sheriffs Office has field test kits that will allow them to test synthetic drugs immediately.
"This will definitely make an impact," Sgt Chris Moore, who leads an undercover narcotics unit with the agency told Local 6
The test kit works just like test kits for marijuana, cocaine and many other drugs.
A sample of the substance is placed into a plastic bag and mixes with an acid. If the test strip changes to yellow, it means the substance has tested positive for the ingredients commonly found in synthetic marijuana. The process takes about one minute.
In the past, deputies would have to send a sample to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be tested. The results would often take a month to come back.
Eventually all deputies will have the kits in their cruisers.