Field drug tests wrongfully implicate tens of thousands of Americans every year, study finds

I read about how field drug tests are leading to wrongful accusations for so many people, and it really hit home. A friend of mine once had a terrible experience where a field test came back positive for something he didn’t even take. It was a mess trying to clear his name.

The infalllibity of man made stuff.

Anyone who knows what the term "field expedient" means would never rely on a field expedient drug test as anything more than an indicator. It can provide probable cause, but not proof. Any field drug test sample which yields a positive result - which EVERYONE in the LE / CJ system knows is not 100% reliable - should be sent to the lab for further testing and verification.

That field drug test is not being used - or at least SHOULD not be used - for convictions.

Additionally, while I do not subscribe to the "if you don't have anything to hide, you should have no problem with a search" attempts to bully citizens and disguise police invasions of privacy, nonetheless, I *do* recognize that in the overwhelming majority of cases where these field tests are used, *something* triggered the encounter in the first place. Cops aren't just randomly walking around sampling powders and crystals to see what the can find. The substance in question was either found in a search subsequent to arrest, or the cops were already looking for substances because it was a drug bust / suspected dealer / suspected smuggler, etc. So these people's implications are usually due to their OTHER behaviors, not because a false positive on a field test.