Study on driving and cannabis finds CBD alone doesn't impair driving ability

A new study investigating the effects of cannabis on driving has found the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) alone does not impair driving ability. This is a landmark finding that will be invaluable in guiding road safety regulations as cannabis laws shift toward legalization around the world (well other than here in NZ anyway).

“With rapidly changing attitudes towards medical and non-medicinal use of cannabis, driving under the influence of cannabis is emerging as an important and somewhat controversial public health issue,” explains Iain McGregor, from the University of Sydney the author of the new study. “While some previous studies have looked at the effects of cannabis on driving, most have focused on smoked cannabis containing only THC (not CBD) and have not precisely quantified the duration of impairment.”

The new study, a joint effort (no pun intended) between Australian and Dutch researchers, is the first to focus specifically on the effect of CBD alone, or in combination with THC, on driving ability in real-world conditions.

The new study was published in the journal JAMA.

See also: Should NZ decriminalize driving after cannabis consumption?
Sources: New Atlas, The University of Sydney.