The study calculates the duration of driving disability after smoking cannabis

What is the ability of a person with a disability to drive safely after consuming cannabis? The world’s first meta-analysis of 80 different studies suggests that cannabis addiction extends somewhere between 3 and 10 hours, with some roadside tests detecting traces of THC days after consumption. I am asking questions.

“The use of both medical and non-medical legal cannabis is becoming more and more common around the world,” explains Daniel McCartney, lead author of the new study. “THC is known to significantly impair driving and cognitive abilities, but many users are confident about how long this disorder will last and when safe tasks such as driving can be resumed after cannabis consumption. There is none.”

A new study extracted data from 80 studies investigating the effects of cannabis addiction on driving. We then performed a meta-analysis to calculate the average impairment period. The results revealed a significant range of failure timings, depending on factors, from mode of consumption (oral and inhalation) to frequency of use.

“Our analysis shows that when high doses of THC are taken orally, the disorder can last up to 10 hours,” McCartney said. “But the more typical duration of disability is 4 hours, smoking or vaporization consumes low doses of THC and performs simpler tasks (eg, cognition of reaction time, sustained attention, working memory, etc.) Tasks that use skills). “

The duration of driving disability was more predictable in those who used cannabis only occasionally, but normal or heavy users showed greater tolerance to the effects of the drug. In general, the study concludes that most driving-related cognitive skills recover within 3-5 hours of inhaling moderate amounts of THC, but researchers have found extreme variability in findings. Points out that suggests that there is no easy answer to the cannabis disorder problem. operation.

“Overall, our results confirm that Delta-9-THC impairs aspects of driving performance, and the magnitude and duration of this disorder are the doses provided, the route of administration, and the frequency with which cannabis is used. It shows that it depends on, “the researchers conclude. Newly published study. There seems to be no universal answer to the question “”.How long do you wait before driving?“After Cannabis Use: Several factors need to be considered to determine the appropriate delay between using Delta-9-THC and performing a secure task.”

Of course, a major challenge facing lawmakers today is how to accurately measure the level of impairment. Compared to cannabis, alcohol disorders are relatively easy to crack down on. Common drunk detectors reliably measure blood alcohol levels, and these levels have been found to be reasonably responsive to addiction and dysfunction for most people.

Cannabis, on the other hand, is a completely complex drug. Researchers are competing to bring accurate THC DUI detectors to market, Serious concern Blood THC levels It does not objectively deal with driving problems.In fact, an independent report commissioned by the US Congress in 2019 Conclusion “There is no scientifically proven correlation between the level of THC and the degree of disability.”

“THC can be detected weeks after cannabis intake, but it’s clear that the disorder lasts for a much shorter period of time,” said Ian McGregor, another author of the new study. “Our legal framework probably needs to catch up with it, and like alcohol, users need to focus on intervals that are more risky to themselves and others. THC in blood or saliva. It is clearly unreasonable to prosecute based solely on the existence of. “

New study published in journal Neuroscience and bioethological reviews..

Source: University of Sydney