Research by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics has found CBD has no impact on people’s ability to drive, even at the maximum daily dose of 1,500mg.

Published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the study involved 17 participants undertaking simulated driving tasks after consuming 15, 300 or 1500mg of CBD oil or a placebo. 

Study lead author Danielle McCartney

First, participants had to try to maintain a safe distance between themselves and a lead vehicle, and then ‘drive’ along highways and rural roads. 

They completed the task 45 to 75 minutes after treatment, and then again three-and-a-half to four hours afterwards. They repeated the process under each of the four different treatment regimes (three doses and placebo).

The researchers measured their control of the simulated car, tested how much it weaved or drifted, as well as their cognitive function, subjective experiences, and the CBD concentrations in their plasma.

The team concluded that no dose of CBD induced feelings of intoxication or appeared to impair either driving or cognitive performance.

Study lead author Danielle McCartney said: “Though CBD is generally considered ‘non-intoxicating’, its effects on safety-sensitive tasks are still being established. Our study is the first to confirm that, when consumed on its own, CBD is driver safe.”

While there are heavy penalties for drivers who test positive for THC in Australia, regardless of impairment, CBD is legal provided a driver is not ‘impaired’ due to fatigue and/or lowered blood pressure. 

McCartney warned the study looked at CBD in isolation, and that drivers taking it with other medications should do so with care.

Previous research by Lambert found CBD is safe for driving and the effects of THC fade in just four hours

Prior to launching Cannabiz, Martin was co-founder and CEO of Asia-Pac’s leading B2B media and marketing information brand Mumbrella, overseeing its sale to Diversified Communications in 2017. A journalist...

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