‘Effect of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Driving Performance: A Randomized Clinical Trial’
asks,
'What is the magnitude and duration of driving impairment following vaporization of cannabis containing varying concentrations of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)?'
concludes,
'SDLP following vaporized THC-dominant and THC/CBD-equivalent cannabis compared with placebo was significantly greater at 40 to 100 minutes but not 240 to 300 minutes after vaporization; there were no significant differences between CBD-dominant cannabis and placebo. However, the effect size for CBD-dominant cannabis may not have excluded clinically important impairment, and the doses tested may not represent common usage.'
SDLP: standard deviation of lateral position , a measure of lane weaving, swerving, and overcorrecting
'Driving Under the Influence of CBD or THC - Is There a Difference? '
‘Cannabis and Impaired Driving’
reports,
‘in 2018, 29% of the 36,560 crash deaths in the US were attributed to [alcohol-]impaired driving. By comparison, driving under the influence of cannabis was estimated to account for 8700 road traffic deaths worldwide in 2013.’
and,
'cannabinoids are the most commonly detected other drugs (besides alcohol) in fatally injured drivers (up to 15% in urban areas), and the prevalence is increasing.'
You can’t just say “CBD will do (x) to your driving ability” because that’s like saying “everything made in a brewery will get you drunk,” while forgetting that root beer is often made in breweries.
A lot of CBD products don’t have any THC in them at all, and so won’t impair you any more than any other non-intoxicant.
I don’t disagree with your conclusion, but I question your logic. After all, a drug can be non-intoxicating and still adversely affect your ability to drive. I’m struggling to think if examples, but a stimulant might be as detrimental to driving as a depressant. Know what I mean?
I’m just not up on this whole pot/drug thing. I guess all I want to know is if pot smokers are a hazard on the road or not. Maybe someone can just put this in plain English.
Absolutely. And CBD doesn’t require a prescription, either if it has no THC.
It is illegal to drive while intoxicated. CBD isn’t an intoxicant. It includes legal intoxicants like alcohol, THC (depending on your state) and even prescription drugs. Alcohol is easy to field test, THC isn’t, yet.
IMHO, the answer is that, yes, being high on anything will impair your ability to pay attention, steer smoothly, and react quickly, although I consider alcohol a more powerful impairment than the devil’s lettuce.
If I had my druthers, I’d want every driver to be sober in every respect. In lieu of that, if I had to choose between 10 drunk drivers (on alcohol) and 10 stoned drivers (on weed), I’d choose the 10 stoned drivers.
If it was straight marijuana, then I’d probably choose the same if I had to pick one of the two. The problem we’ve run into around here, is that people are either smoking medical grade with much higher concentrations of THC (and most of the people I’ve seen coming into our ER after smoking that stuff are as bad as drunken people, if not worse) or they’re smoking marijuana that’s had K2 mixed into it.
Yes…no question they are a hazard. I have no problem with people drinking or smoking or any other drug they want to abuse their body with…just don’t overate any vehicle on any roads. Laws in this country are still too lax for DUI. IMHO - first offense should be heavy fine and mandatory drivers ed classes. Second offense - 1 year in prison and loss of license for life.
They’re both too lax and not lax enough. The laws that say standing next to your car with the keys in your pocket and a cold engine is sufficient to judge that you were drunk driving are asinine as well. If I’m drunk at home (not that I ever am) and go out to my car to get something but I don’t even turn it on, that should not mean that I am legally driving drunk, yet people have been tried, convicted, and lost appeals after doing exactly that.
Meanwhile the guy who actually drives drunk has 10 DUI convictions and somehow manages to find his way back behind the wheel. The laws are stupid at both ends.
Never used or been around the stuff. Don’t take drugs. Maybe a glass of wine a month. Elton John says legalizing the stuff is going to prove to be the worst decision yet. I agree.
Thanks for the link. It’s taken a long time for alcohol impairment laws to get where they are today. When marijuana was illegal everywhere, just smelling it when a window was rolled down was enough to pop the driver. Having to prove impairment is much more difficult.
I live in Oregon where cannabis has been legal for several years and I’ve never smelled it while driving. It would suit me fine if drinkers of alcohol would switch to cannabis, it would solve many problems.
Recreational weed has been legal in NJ for a few years. After purchase, legal consumption has been limited to people’s homes, and there haven’t been any widespread problems.
However, the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission is now contemplating whether to legalize cannabis lounges–and I see this as a potential problem because of the strong probability that people will be driving away from those “lounges” while under the influence.
I’ve smelled it in traffic in Ohio when it WAS illegal!
LEOs are able to give field sobriety tests for weed-impaired suspects to determine DUI. While there is no set. measurable limit like alcohol, an impaired driver can be stopped and given a field sobriety test. Just like high school after lunch… we all KNEW who was high, and who wasn’t.
We did these tests for 70+ years before we had measuring tools in the patrol car for instant analysis of BAC. I understand the elimination of the “gray area” with testing tools but in the absence, the “old school” methods can still be effective.
Well, if you drink and it wears off, the only damage is to your liver. If you smoke pot, it sticks with you and muddles the brain. Bunch of zombies walking around, imho.
At any rate I tell kids never ever ever take any pill that someone gives you unless it is from a pharmacist or in the factory sealed package. Never ever.
As a born Jamaican, when it comes to gangja ( marijuana ), or if you prefer, weed, let me just say this:
Almost everyone behind the wheels actively smoke this highly desirable plant while driving. Such sighting is so common that even the police could care less seeing someone with it while driving. The only time gangja might get someone in trouble is if they are transporting a large sum of it for whatever reason.
Marijuana is a symbolic plant on the island.
It relaxes the mind and soul.
Edit: after submitting this comment, I learned that Jamaica is or has considered banning the use of marijuana while driving.
When I was working - the company’s location was in MA which marijuana was legal. However, because of work we did with Homeland security and our random drug tests - if marijuana was detected during the drug test - it was grounds for immediate dismissal. Of all the years I worked we had to let 2 people go because of failed drug test.
