Near-infrared spectroscopy uses a low-energy, non-visible light source to analyze substances, not a laser. The NIRLab drug field test is safe and does not require any special handling precautions associated with laser-based instruments.
NIRLab
The Everyday Drug Field Test Device, Built for Every Officer
NIRLab gives every officer a simple, smart, and speedy way to presumptively identify and quantify common narcotics in seconds, while connecting drug field test results to real-time reporting and intelligence. Drug field testing helps agencies make faster decisions, improve officer safety, and see drug trends as they emerge, giving officers the complete picture, not just a presumptive answer.
NIRLab utilizes near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for cannabis potency testing and common drug analysis. This drug field test identifies, quantifies potency, and collects results in a real-time intelligence platform to make informative decisions in the field, improving officer safety.
Identify Common Drugs in Seconds
Cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, and cannabis (CBD and THC) represent the most frequently encountered controlled substances in field operations, driving the majority of arrests, seizures, and prosecutions. Identify drugs in under five seconds with one-handed, single-button operation.
NIRLab for Drug Enforcement
No sample preparation, no reagents, no specialized training required. Detect drug mixtures of up to three components in a single scan. The device is easy to hold and comparable in size to an officer’s tactical flashlight.
Accurate Drug Field Testing
Colorimetric Test Kits are being Legislated Out
Colorado banned arrests based solely on colorimetric tests in March of 2026 (HB26-1020), citing false positive rates documented as high as 91% (Quattrone Report). Several additional states have pending legislation. Agencies that currently rely on colorimetric test kits face both legal risk, and the immediate need for a scientifically defensible alternative. The NIRLab fills this gap.
The Marijuana Gap
Cannabis represents 37% of US drug seizures and is still banned in 75% of countries around the world. Raman spectroscopy cannot analyze cannabis plant material and cannot output THC concentration. NIRLab is the only handheld narcotics analyzer that provides quantified THC percentage to help establish probable cause.
Drug Purity for Advanced Intelligence
Knowing a substance is methamphetamine is only part of the answer. Purity percentage reveals supply chain patterns, helps establish charge severity, and supports trafficking investigation. NIRLab reports purity on every single scan, automatically, without additional steps.
Officer Safety
NIRLab uses low energy near infrared technology. There is no laser, no eye hazard, and no ignition risk. Officers can scan substances in any environment, without any additional training or safety concern.
FIRST-IN-CLASS
Purity and Quantification in the Drug Field Testing
NIRLab is the first handheld field instrument to deliver purity levels and concentration data for all major street drugs officers encounter, including cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, heroin, cannabis (CBD and THC), even in complex mixtures. That quantitative data changes what an officer can do with a result. Purity could support charge classification, distinguish personal use from trafficking quantities, document adulteration trends across seizures, and provide prosecutors a scientific foundation that holds up when cases go to court.
EXCEPTIONAL CONFIDENCE
Validated Drug Library
The NIRLab library has been validated against more than 40,000 GC-MS quantified reference samples, many of which have been conducted by an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. The scientific foundation behind every result is built to meet the standard required for admissibility, defensibility, and confidence at every arrest.
AGENCY-BRANDED REPORTS
Instant Reports and Warrant Ready
Every scan generates a branded report with the officer’s information, agency logo, substance identification, and purity data. Print or share directly from the field to support search warrant applications without returning to the station. Every report is automatically synced to the NIRLab cloud platform the moment it is generated. Supervisors see real-time activity from every officer in the field: what substance was found, where the scan occurred, and when. Full situational awareness as operations unfold.
Continuous connectivity is not needed to collect sample data. Cloud sync occurs when connectivity is available, ensuring no result is lost.
SECURE BY DESIGN
Cloud Intelligence Built for Law Enforcement
NIRLab cloud architecture was built with law enforcement agencies at top-of-mind. Every organization operates in its own fully segregated environment. Your scans, your results, and your geolocation data are not visible to any other agency or organization on the platform. Geolocation tagging can be enabled or disabled at the user level or organization-wide at any time. No personal information on suspects is ever collected, tracked, or stored. Sample names are encoded. The only data NIRLab captures is what the instrument measures.
Specifications
| Technology | NIR Spectroscopy |
| Battery Run Time/Charge | >10 hours with lamps on continuously |
| Dust and Water Resistance | IP67 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1 (BLE) and USB 2.0 |
| Weight | <250 g (<9 oz) |
APPLICATIONS
Easy-to-use, accurate drug field testing for law enforcement officers.
NIRLab is a handheld NIR spectroscopy device that identifies and quantifies common drugs in seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Every organization operates in a fully segregated environment. Your scans, results, and geolocation data are never visible to other agencies on the platform.
NIRLab field drug testing can identify cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, and cannabis (CBD and THC). It can also detect mixtures of up to three components in a single scan.
Drug scanning results are delivered in under five seconds with one-handed, single-button operation with cloud connectivity.
No. There is no sample preparation, no reagents, and no specialized training required.
Yes. NIRLab is the only drug field test that provides quantified THC percentages for cannabis testing. Raman spectroscopy, colorimetric tests, or THC test kits lack this ability.
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