Streamlly Original
$2 Test. A False Result. Months Behind Bars.
Reported by Alecia Venkataraman
- Published: Apr 15, 2026, 11:57 AM EDT
- Updated: Apr 7, 2026, 1:39 PM EDT
- Duration: 1 min 30 sec
A roadside drug test costing roughly $2 has become one of the most disputed tools in American law enforcement — and experts say it's putting innocent people behind bars.
Common household substances including chocolate, soap and drywall dust can trigger false positives on the chemical field kits, which officers use to establish probable cause during traffic stops.
According to researchers, false positives from the tests result in approximately 30,000 wrongful arrests annually across the United States.
Unlike laboratory testing, which can take months due to backlogs, field test results are immediate — and in most states, enough to justify an arrest and detainment. Defendants who cannot make bail may remain jailed for months before a lab result clears their name.
Colorado recently became the first state to ban arrests based solely on the results of roadside field tests, a move advocates are calling long overdue.
Thousands of Americans, however, are still waiting for lab results to clear their name.
Credits
- Alecia VenkataramanWriter / Director/staff/aleciavenk
- Curtiss PhilipsenActor/VO Artist/staff/curtiss-philipsen
- Erika FisherActor/VO Artist/staff/erika-fisher
Transcript
They said it was a controlled substance.
It was drywall dust.
It was a traffic stop, a $2 field test.
I'm trying to get you out of here, but I'll have to sell the car.
His family couldn't make bail, and the lab that could free him is backed up for months.
You got an A.
Honey, that's so good.
I, I'm so proud of you.
No, not by Christmas.
I'm sorry I missed your birthday.
What he didn't know is that things like chocolate, soap, drywall, can send innocent people to jail due to a false positive, and this happens 30,000 times a year.
Colorado just became the first state to ban arrests based on the results of these field drug tests alone.
Still, thousands across America are living this nightmare, waiting for a lab test that can clear their name.