cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/scientificarticles/p/1373091/cannabis-edibles-impair-driving-even-below-drug-driving-limits
Researchers analysed 40 regular edible cannabis users, testing their driving skills in a simulator before and after eating THC gummies. Higher doses led to poorer lane control, slower reactions and less consistent speed, while participants also reported feeling less able to drive. The participants’ blood tests came in below the legal thresholds for driving in Canada and New Zealand (5 ng/mL). The researchers say that edibles lead to lower peak blood THC concentrations than smoking, making it difficult to use blood THC levels alone to determine whether someone is actually impaired.
yes we know, alcohol also does this and is perfectly legal to consume. just not while driving.
On the other hand, the number of times I’ve seen “Being high isn’t the same as being drunk, it’s okay to drive” has been FAR more than the number of times I’ve seen people trying to defend drunk drivers. It’s a useful study.
It isn’t trying to argue that edibles should be illegal, it’s just research on a little-understood aspect.
The main difference I remember from being drunk vs being high at the wheel is that when high you’re rather aware of the impediment while with alcohol there’s that point where is the total opposite, you feel like you’re driving even better than sober. I’m far more scared of the latter.
the senate of Canada found that it makes users, ‘MORE cautious’
Chapter 8 – Driving under the influence of cannabis
If there is one issue, other than the effects of cannabis use on young people or the effects of substance abuse, that is likely to be of concern to society and governments, then it is certainly the effect of the use of cannabis on the ability to drive a vehicle. We are already familiar with the effects of alcohol on driving and the many accidents involving injuries or deaths to young people. In spite of the decreases in use noted in recent years, one fatal accident caused by the use of a substance is one accident too many.
Next to alcohol, cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive substance, particularly among young people in the 16-25 age group. Casual use occurs most often in a festive setting, at weekend parties, often accompanied by alcohol. People in this age group are also the most likely to have a car accident and are also susceptible to having an accident while impaired.
Cannabis affects psychomotor skills for up to five hours after use. The psychoactive effects of cannabis are also dependent on the amount used, the concentration of THC and the morphology, experience and expectations of users. But what are the specific effects of cannabis on the ability to drive motor vehicles? What are the effects of alcohol and cannabis combined? And what tools are available to detect the presence of a concentration of THC that is likely to significantly affect the psychomotor skills involved in vehicle operation?
This chapter is divided into three sections. The first considers the ways of testing for the presence of cannabinoids in the body. The second analyzes studies on the known prevalence of impaired driving, in both accident and non-accident contexts. The third and last summarizes what is known about the effects of cannabis on driving based on both laboratory and field studies. As in the other chapters, the Committee then draw its own conclusions.
The Committee feels it is quite likely that cannabis makes users more cautious, partly because they are aware of their deficiencies and compensate by reducing speed and taking fewer risks. However, because what we are dealing with is no longer the consequences on the users themselves, but the possible consequences of their behaviour on others, the Committee feels that it is important to opt for the greatest possible caution with respect to the issue of driving under the influence of cannabis.
Given what we have seen, we conclude the following:
Ø Between 5% and 12% of drivers may drive under the influence of cannabis; this percentage increases to over 20% for young men under 25 years of age;
Ø Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving. Cannabis leads to a more cautious style of driving. However it has a negative impact on decision time and trajectory. This in itself does not mean that drivers under the influence of cannabis represent a traffic safety risk;
Ø A significant percentage of impaired drivers test positive for cannabis and alcohol together. The effects of cannabis when combined with alcohol are more significant than is the case for alcohol alone;
Ø Despite recent progress, there does not yet exist a reliable and non intrusive rapid roadside testing method;
Ø Blood remains the best medium for detecting the presence of cannabinoids;
Ø Urine cannot screen for recent use;
Ø Saliva is promising, but rapid commercial tests are not yet reliable enough;
Ø The visual recognition method used by police officers has yielded satisfactory results; and
Ø It is essential to conduct studies in order to develop a rapid testing tool and learn more about the driving habits of cannabis users.
https://sencanada.ca/en/content/SEN/Committee/371/ille/rep/summary-e
This isn’t a scientific finding, this is speculation based on preliminary evidence.
That’s what the study posted here is doing.
I feel like you’re taking a super defensive stance here, like you feel that this study is attacking you in some way, and I’m curious why that is.
Yeah it’s weird. I like dope, I think driving high is probably largely significantly safer than alcohol and probably not significantly more risky than when sober. I still choose personally not to drive stoned, and I completely agree that we need to have SOME KIND of enforcement for road users. But criminalizing it itself seems like perhaps the wrong approach. Surely it should just be an aggravating factor if you are actually convicted of a driving offence, unless you are caught operating a vehicle while extremely impaired.
Whatever your stance though, if you can’t take studies at face value and accept that you might not like the findings, what are we even doing.
I can say from personal experience the the effect of driving more cautiously is real, but that’s because i could tell i couldnt react or think nearly as quickly as normal. If some kid came running from a blind spot, i would have hit them, no doubt. Definitely would not recommend. (I’ve only driven while high twice, both times because the person asking me didn’t know i was high, and i wanted to keep it that way. Would never do it again, at least i dont care if people know i smoke anymore)
I think they should have an impairment study where they compare the two, and settle once and for all, how blazed you have to be before you are as incompetent to drive as you would be if you were at the legal limit for alcohol.
That is going to be wholly and completely individual. Even for the same person, tolerance changes A LOT between not smoking for a month and even just a smoke once in a while. Let alone the people that wake and bake every morning.
Some peoples’ blazed out of their mind is someone else’s morning routine when it comes to how much THC is in their system, and the tolerant potheads will perform infinitely better than a newbie or seldom smoker.
Does it really matter? Less bad doesn’t mean good. We’re talking about the lives of innocent bystanders here. If taking additional risk is avoidable, it should be avoided.