With the legalization of marijuana and the recent innovations in the delivery and ingestion of Cannabis in both psychoactive and non-psychoactive forms, there has been a surge of Cannabis related cases in the criminal arena. This presentation is designed to educate attorneys and investigators on how to challenge the DRE process and how it applies when Cannabis is the drug perceived to be resulting in impairment.
Topics will include: chemical breakdown, toxicology, retrograde extrapolation, DRE – a review of the 12-step evaluation, scientific studies, court cases, and pitfalls
Upon completion of this course, the attendee will:
1) Be familiar with the chemical breakdown of THC and understand the psychoactive vs non-psychoactive metabolites.
2) Have an understanding of the pseudo-science behind DRE 12-step process
3) Be aware of the pitfalls of Field Sobriety Tests and the DRE examination
4) Be familiar with some studies and court cases related to THC and DRE examinations
About the Faculty: Ed Barley is a retired Senior Criminalist who worked with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He has been working in forensic sciences since 1991 and as a private consultant since 2012. Ed has worked with both prosecution and defense attorneys. He has a BS in Biochemistry from the California State University Long Beach and currently lives in the Los Angeles area. Through consulting and testimony, he has assisted attorneys in obtaining an honest and fair resolution in hundreds of criminal and civil cases. Ed is a contract forensic toxicologist with Godoy Medical Forensics and has consulted on cases nationwide and has worked at both the federal and state levels.