Your smartphone has enough data to potentially detect cannabis intoxication, study finds

Researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey say smartphone sensor data combined with machine learning could detect whether someone is under the influence of cannabis.

The researchers set out to develop a proof-of-concept way to passively detect cannabis use as an alternative to existing detection measures, such as blood, urine or saliva tests. Their findings were published in September in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

"Adverse effects of acute cannabis intoxication have been reported by young adults, with associated consequences such as poor academic and work performance, and injuries and fatalities due to driving while 'high' on cannabis," the authors wrote in the study.

The authors conducted a study experiment involving 57 young adults who reported using cannabis at least twice a week. The participants were asked to complete three surveys a day over a 30-day period that asked how high they were feeling at a given time, as well as when they had last used cannabis and the quantity consumed. In total, the participants reported 451 episodes of cannabis use.

The participants were also asked to download an app that analyzed GPS data, phone logs, accelerometer data and other smartphone sensors and usage statistics.