RIFIDAS

Rapid In-Field Identification of Addictive Substances

The processing of criminal offenses related to addictive substances causes substantial personnel and financial expenditures for the Austrian executive. A major cause for this is that currently there is no method that would allow the police to distinguish between legal (CBD) and illegal cannabis quickly and safely.

To address this issue the RIFIDAS-project (Rapid In-Field Identification of Addictive Substances) aims to develop an easily usable demonstration device with a quick, reliable and robust measurement technique for on-site classification of Cannabis samples for the police, equipped with suitable evaluation software and a basic user interface. Due to advances in spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) part of the electromagnetic spectrum and relying on specifically calibrated chemometric models based on multivariate analysis and machine learning algorithms, a precise and reliable measurement of the THC-content can be achieved. As a result, the project aims to facilitate and improve police work in relation to the detection and prosecution of illicit substances and to identify the steps necessary for the further development of the tool into a "market ready" product.

Activities

The main task of VICESSE is to provide social science and legal guidance and evaluation. This includes in particular:

Data protection monitoring and evaluation of the privacy impact of the project
Evaluation of the consideration of the user-needs in the development and implementation of the measuring instrument
Evaluation of the practical applicability of the measuring instrument
Evaluation of the effect of the use of the measuring instrument on police work
Technology impact assessment: Evaluation of the social impact of the overall concept