If you’ve ever taken a look around our CBD shop, you’ve no doubt noticed that it comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, a common form is the well-known CBD oil, but there are also CBD crystals, CBD pastes, CBD cosmetics, and even CBD edibles available for purchase. One question that—due to the link between CBD and cannabis—is often asked is whether you can (and are allowed to) drive after using CBD. In this article, we’ll answer that question.
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Driving and CBD
Can you drive after taking CBD? The short answer is “yes.” CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of the many different compounds found in the hemp plant. The compound THC, on the other hand, is responsible for the high and the stoned feeling you get from weed and cannabis. But CBD is actually separate from that. Make no mistake, though: CBD isn’t found exclusively in cannabis plants; the compound is present in many nutritious vegetables, including kale, broccoli, and echinacea. But if you really want to benefit from the effects of CBD, hemp is your best choice.
A new Australian study released this month has shown that this key component of the cannabis plant does not negatively affect a person’s ability to drive. The Lambert Initiative at the University of Sydney, which studies the medical potential of the cannabis plant, discovered that cannabidiol (CBD) does not affect the ability to drive a car. THC, on the other hand, does have a significant impact on driving skills.
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Maastricht University
Scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, working under the banner of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, conducted the study. The research was published yesterday in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lead author Dr. Thomas Arkell concluded the study with good news: “These findings indicate for the first time that CBD, when administered without THC, does not affect a subject’s driving ability. That is great news for those who are using or considering treatment with CBD-based products.”
The strong growth in medical treatments using cannabis-related products in Australia prompted further research. Precisely because more and more people are using CBD, this specific substance was included in the study. The study involved people who inhaled vaporized cannabis containing various mixtures of THC and CBD, and then, 40 minutes and four hours later, had to drive 100 kilometers on public highways under controlled conditions.
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Do not drive if you have consumed THC
The results were clear: Cannabis containing primarily CBD had no effect on driving, while cannabis containing THC or a THC/CBD mixture did. “As cannabis laws change worldwide, jurisdictions are grappling with the issue of driving under the influence of cannabis. These results provide much-needed insights into the extent and duration of impairment caused by different types of cannabis and can help guide road safety policy, not only in Australia but around the world,” said Dr. Arkell.
Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of the Lambert Initiative, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Jan Ramaekers and his team on this research. It is incredibly important to study the effects of cannabis on driving in a real-world context with such precision. “The results should reassure people who use only CBD products that they can most likely drive safely, while helping patients who use THC-dominant products understand the duration of the impairment.”
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Cannabis and Driving
“With rapidly changing attitudes toward medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis use, driving under the influence of cannabis is emerging as a significant and somewhat controversial public health issue. This is the first study to illustrate the lack of CBD effects on driving and also provide a clear indication of the duration of THC decline.” The researchers found that THC remained active for about 4 hours and affected driving ability.
In short: have you smoked cannabis? Then absolutely stay out of the car! However, according to this study, after taking CBD products without THC, you can safely participate in traffic.
