Question on an FST I've never seen before

[Curt581]

I watched a 'COPS' episode the other night... I forget where it was filmed... where a cop made a traffic stop on two W/Ms in a beat-up brown Camaro.

During the stop, the officer does a test on the driver similar to an HGN or VGN. He had the driver focus his eyes on the officer's fingertip. Except... instead of moving it from side to side or up and down, the officer moved his finger in a large circle, probably two foot diameter, spiraling inward until the fingertip was in front of the driver's face about a foot from his nose. He then moved his fingertip towards the driver's face, until he touched the driver's nose, trying to make the driver's eyes cross.

He explained to the driver that getting his eyes to cross was the point of the test, that someone who has smoked marijuana or is under the influence of THC can't cross their eyes normally.

Any truth to this? I've never seen this one before, and I'm HGN certified. Is this one of those secret tests that only DRE's can use?

Would this be something I could possibly use in deciding whether or not to skip the breath test and go with a blood draw (requesting a drug panel)? I'm sure I'd have to be certified in it's use to be able to testify as to what I saw, but would it make a difference if I was only using it to determine which primary test to use?

Any feedback is appreciated

[Downeaster]

Sounds like he was checking for convergence... One of the DRE's secret-squirell clues for persons under the influence of MJ. Couple of others are eyelid flutter and discolored tongue.

[KCSO780]

He was checking for convergence. I've used it many times. Someone smoking "Mary J" have trouble crossing there eyes, or there eyes will cross but then immediately move back out. I'm not a DRE but I did learn it in a drug influence class. Eye flutter or tremors is a sign of Meth use.

[Bodie]

Since we don't have "Smellavision" and thank god we don't since most of the drunks etc we run into could sure stink up the family room. The officers involved probably adjusted the test since they had no obviuos odor of alcohol but could smell "weed" odor coming from the car.

[olnacl]

You can use it, you just wouldn't be able to testify to what it signifies.

You would also be better off if you combined it with other clues such as: greenish/brown tongue, odor of burnt marijuana, green leafy matter between thier teeth, reddened conjuctiva, inability to resist a bag of Doritos...and so on.

Also an easier one to see is pronounced eyelid flutters. When you have the subject perform the Romberg watch their eyelids...you will see them flutter. It almost looks like the eye does during the REM portion of sleep. It's pretty neat.

I've been a DRE since 1996. I love that stuff...it's my second most favorite thing to do in LE, next to K9.