Cannabis wins big in Australia as landmark study finds drivers at highest possible dose are perfectly ‘safe’ to use our roads
- Highest daily pharmacological dose of cannabidiol (CBD) does not affect driving ability
- CBD oil doesn’t seem to intoxicate people, as historical study finds
- Most countries, including Australia, allow people to drive on the CBD
Drivers who take a few drops of cannabis-derived cannabidiol under the tongue are fine as long as it is in moderation.
A study led by the University of Sydney found that the highest daily medicinal dose of cannabidiol (CBD) at 1500 mg had no effect on people’s driving or cognitive abilities.
Unlike THC, a cannabis component that can induce a high and harm, CBD does not appear to make people intoxicated.
Instead, it may have a calming and pain-relieving effect.
A study led by the University of Sydney found that the highest daily medicinal dose of 1500 mg of cannabidiol (CBD) (pictured) had no effect on people’s driving or cognitive abilities.
Most countries, including Australia, allow people to drive on the CBD (pictured, stock driving image)
CBD is a cannabis component widely used for medical as well as wellness purposes, such as to induce sleep or to boost energy and is mostly consumed orally in oil form.
Most countries, including Australia, allow people to drive on the CBD.
In NSW, this is legal provided the driver is not impaired due to fatigue or low blood pressure.
Lead author Danielle McCartney said that while CBD was not normally considered a drug, its effects were being measured on other functions.
“Our study is the first to confirm that CBD is driver-safe when consumed on its own,” McCartney said.
Lead author Danielle McCartney said that CBD (pictured) was not normally considered a drug, but its effects were being measured on other functions.
The research, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, involved 17 participants who performed a simulated driving task after taking a placebo or doses up to 1500 mg.
They completed the tasks between 45-75 minutes after taking their prescribed treatment and again between three and a half to four hours.
Drivers had to try to maintain a safe distance between themselves and a vehicle in front of them as well as between highways and rural roads
The researchers measured how much the drivers wove or drifted, their cognitive function and the concentration of oil in the bloodstream.
Researchers measured how much drivers wove or drifted, their cognitive function and the concentration of oil in the bloodstream (pictured, stock driving image)
They concluded that no doses of CBD induce feelings of intoxication or appear to impair driving or cognitive performance.
McCartney said around 55,000 requests for access to medicinal CBD had been approved in Australia since 2016.
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