A Dutch study has now proven it: CBD use has absolutely no effect on your ability to drive! However, other types of cannabis may affect certain aspects of your performance, which is why researchers at Maastricht University set out to investigate this further.
Effects vary depending on the product ingested
Johannes Ramaekers is a professor of psychopharmacology at Maastricht University. He explains that strains containing high levels of THC (the cannabinoid) are responsible for the “high” that typically follows the consumption of hemp flowers. As a result, THC can have adverse effects on driving for up to 4 hours after vaping. However, it appears that this is not the case for strains that contain only CBD (cannabidiol). In other words, the impairment of certain abilities varies depending on the type of cannabis consumed and the amount of time that has elapsed since consumption.
Driving Sessions After Vaping CBD and THC
As the use ofCBD-based products becomes increasingly popular around the world, Dutch scientists have begun testing participants while they drive on the highway.
They recruited a group of men and women with no prior medical history, with an average age of 23, who had used cannabis at least twice a week during the previous year.
Equipped with a camera mounted on the roof of their vehicle, the participants had to complete several driving sessions on the highway: the first took place after vaping THC, the second after vaping THC and CBD, the third after vaping only CBD, and the fourth after vaping a placebo.
The researchers then assessed average speeds and speed ranges using blood samples. For their part, the participants self-reported the effects they felt after each session, which allowed the researchers to analyze their memory, thinking skills, decision-making abilities, and so on.
No effects related to CBD consumption were observed
Ultimately, participants who consumed THC-dominant cannabis or a THC/CBD blend experienced short-term impairments (between 40 and 100 minutes after vaping). This impairment is comparable to that of drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%.
In contrast, the researchers observed that drivers’ abilities remained completely unchanged after taking a placebo or a dose of CBD-dominant cannabis. Although they are pleased with the results of this study, they do not find them surprising, as they are consistent with previous studies.
Paul Armentano, director of NORML (an organization that supports the legalization of cannabis), concludes: “CBD is not psychoactive in the same way as THC, so it is unlikely to have a significant impact on driving performance.”
