The training of drug-sniffing dogs to ignore marijuana has a far-reaching effect. While recreational marijuana use has been legalized in some states, such as Washington, it remains illegal to grow, sell, and possess more than an ounce. Nonetheless, the decision has been widely welcomed by experts and the public alike. Here are the details about how such training is carried out.
One reason for this shift is that marijuana use has become legal in many states, making search and seizure procedures more difficult. Law enforcement agencies in states where the drug is legal have responded by phasing out autoflowering cannabis seeds usa the use of drug-sniffing dogs. Drug-sniffing dogs are being phased out from routine patrols in some jurisdictions, including the D.C. police department. However, some agencies have not yet made the necessary changes.
The training of drug-sniffing dogs is based on the premise that marijuana is not an illegal substance. While this approach has many benefits, it also carries a risk. Marijuana is not illegal in many states, so trained dogs cannot distinguish between legal and illegal drugs. And because marijuana is not legal, police departments must rely on other criteria to make a case.
Legalization of recreational marijuana in many states is affecting the training of police dogs to detect marijuana. In fact, many police dogs have been trained to sniff marijuana, and their retirement is inevitable. Because the need for police lastest about marijuana dogs is not decreasing, breeders are having trouble finding enough dogs. In Arizona, Jeff Hawkins, the president of the State Troopers Association, is working to find funding for new dogs, and to upgrade the main police dog training facility.
Although the new dogs are not yet ready to sniff marijuana, Rotinsky is already working with another dog to train them to ignore it. The second dog, named Ivy, is trained to detect marijuana without any sensitivity. During the training, the dog will be rewarded for any drug it detects, and will indicate when a person is snorting it.
As marijuana became legal in Colorado, the decision has caused a legal battle. A judge ruled in a case in 2015 that the use of a marijuana detection dog without probable cause is illegal. The dog’s positive reaction to marijuana is inadmissible, and it is not clear why the drug-sniffing dog would be able to detect legal marijuana.
Legalization of marijuana has also created new challenges for the drug-sniffing dog industry. Although most of the public favors legalizing cannabis, drug-sniffing dogs continue to snare innocent people. Many large police departments have begun preparing for the new reality by pre-retiring some of their dogs. In fact, there are several states in which marijuana has been legalized.
The process of training these dogs to ignore marijuana and other drugs has proven to be incredibly inefficient. While they are still highly accurate, it’s important to remember that the presence of traces of the drug can mask other odors. The Clever Hans Effect makes these cases more likely to be false positives. In addition to the inaccuracy of the test, drug-sniffing dogs are inaccurate when they detect trace amounts of marijuana.
Sgt. Amos describes drug detection training as a ‘game’ in which the dog sniffs an abandoned car trunk. Scenting the trunk of an abandoned car, Sig and Cash alerted their handlers with their paws. The handler then rewarded them with praise when the dogs successfully locate the toy. And Sgt. Amos explained that drug detection training is not the end of the world.