Driving

Those Who Increase Marijuana Use Between their Teens and Adulthood are Risky Drivers

March 5, 2020 Adolescents, Driving

Marijuana trajectories and associations with driving risk behaviors in Canadian youth

In Summary

A recent study has found that drivers who increase their cannabis use as they transition from their teens into adulthood are more likely to participate in risky driving behavior. This data was gathered from interviews conducted utilizing the same population over a period of 6 years and split the groups into increased users, users who decreased use, those who abstained, and those who used cannabis occasionally. Only those who self-identified as increased users were likely to engage in dangerous driving situations, such as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol simultaneously. This data will hopefully improve harm reduction strategies to prevent at-risk groups from engaging in dangerous behaviors, especially in combination with alcohol.

This study brings to light the issue of driving while under the influence of cannabis. Not all of the active cannabinoids in cannabis are psychoactive which means they are not necessarily dangerous to drive while taking. Cannabidiol (CBD) is well known and praised for its therapeutic effects without being psychoactive which is why it is so widely consumed. Users should still be mindful of any side effects, but not all cannabis products will inhibit driving capabilities.

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THC Users Show No Increased Crash Risk

February 25, 2020 Alcohol, Driving

Cannabis use as a risk factor for causing motor vehicle crashes- a prospective study

In Summary:

A recent study has revealed that drivers who use ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) do not show an increased risk of crashing. Users of THC were also showed a statistically insignificant increased risk of crash responsibility than drivers who tested negative for THC use. Further research should be conducted to include all types of vehicles while excluding those involving drugs of abuse. The results seen in the featured study may have been skewed by the inclusion of drivers who used one or more drugs in combination with cannabis, including alcohol. Accident rates involving just cannabis use may prove to be even less than those found here.

Driving while under the influence is still very risky, but perhaps the featured research warrants an examination of how to trace the amount of THC effect driving. Adults who are above the legal drinking age can drive as long as they are under a 0.08 blood-alcohol level so theoretically, there may be a level of THC consumption that may be allowed when driving, especially considering the lasting effects of certain consumption methods such as edibles and tinctures. Researchers could possibly create a mechanism, similar to that of a diabetes test, that would prick a driver’s finger and test for various cannabinoid content in their blood. This would obviously have challenges as there is a vast array of natural and synthetic cannabinoids but may be worth looking into as cannabis becomes more popular throughout North America.

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The Endocannabinoid System’s Effect on the Cerebellum is a Drawback for Anti-Inflammatory Meds

July 16, 2019 Adverse Effects, Animal Model, Anti-inflammatory properties, Behavior change, Cannabinoids, Cannabis, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Coordination, Driving, Future Medicine, Heavy Use, Impairment, Jobs, Occasional Use, Overdose, Reaction Time, THC

Title: Monoacylglycerol lipase blockade impairs fine motor coordination and triggers cerebellar neuroinflammation through cyclooxygenase-2

Researchers are constantly considering how cannabis may impact the human brain, for better or worse. A recently published work points out a negative effect on the cerebellum, caused by the inhibition of the main enzyme that is used to break down the endocannabinoid “2- arachidonoylglycerol” (2-AG). By inhibiting the degradation of 2-AG, more of the endocannabinoid is allowed to remain in, and act upon, the human nervous system. This abundance of 2-AG results in reduced synthesis of prostaglandins, which produces an anti-inflammatory effect.

Unfortunately, the abundance of 2-AG also results in motor coordination deficits related to the effect on the cerebellum, but the addition of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor (commonly found in many over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications) reverses these cerebellar deficits.

This highlights the far-reaching capabilities of the endocannabinoid system and at least one powerful angle where researchers could develop medications to indirectly impact the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids are still a politically hot topic, but synthesizing drugs that alter the level of endogenous cannabinoids available in the body is an ideal way to study the endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic benefits, without engaging with the red tape that surrounds cannabis. The receptors mechanisms for the endocannabinoid system certainly warrants further investigation.

Tweet: Researchers have recently revealed the negative effects on the #cerebellum caused by the inhibition of the main enzyme utilized for the degradation of the #endocannabinoid 2- arachidonoylglycerol (#2-AG). Learn more at

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Incidents of Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Reveals A Need for Stricter Regulations

July 14, 2019 Adolescents, Adverse Effects, Behavior change, Blood-Levels, Cannabis, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Cognition, Dosing, Driving, Future Medicine, Heavy Use, History, Impairment, Law, Legislation, Reaction Time, Science, Social Justice, Stigma, THC

Title: A review of drug abuse in recently reported cases of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) in Asia, USA, and Europe

A recent literature review has found that the current driving regulations in Asia, Europe, and the US have not prevented cases of driving under the influence of drugs. The authors observed steady trends of incidences of driving under the influence in all three regions, despite legislature specifically enacted against such actions. In the literature, there is a consistent recommendation that drivers should be regularly tested, especially in the case of an accident, in order to gather more data on the role of drugs in traffic accidents.

This review highlights the different illicit drugs that contribute to traffic accidents, depending on the region of the world. Cannabis is legal in certain areas of Europe, whereas it is still considered an illicit substance here in the US, and many other locations, worldwide. Looking at the differences in severity or circumstance of the accidents between the type of illicit drug used may provide data to create more beneficial regulations for each country. As the legal status of cannabis continues to evolve, and it becomes more common to find drivers on the road who have consumed a minimal amount of cannabis, new screening techniques will likely be developed to help the culture establish what it considers an “acceptable amount” of blood-borne cannabinoids to be.

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Cannabis use as a risk factor for causing motor vehicle crashes: a prospective study

June 28, 2019 Adverse Effects, Canada, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Driving, Future Medicine, History, Legislation, Reaction Time, Regulation, Social Justice, Stigma

Title of study: Cannabis use as a risk factor for causing motor vehicle crashes: a prospective study

After legalization in 2018, many Canadian provinces implemented “zero tolerance” policies for drivers who have THC in their systems. But a new study from the University of British Columbia suggests that Canada’s drug-impaired driving laws may be unnecessarily strict. According to researchers, there is no link between THC levels below 5ng/mL and increased risk of car accidents.

Note: Considering the potentially grave risk to life and health for modern culture to make the wrong interpretation of the potential dangers of the effects of cannabis consumption on driving, it is critical for the industry to approach the circumstances with delicacy and diligence. Ideally, everyone involved will be motivated to learn as much as possible about the impact of cannabis on the risks of operating machinery and all will follow a cautious approach which will minimize the risk to all. To that end, it is important to consider and reconcile evidence from multiple perspectives.

The article:

“New study suggests low levels of THC in blood do not increase risk of car crash” https://www.straight.com/cannabis/1256476/new-study-suggests-low-levels-thc-blood-do-not-increase-risk-car-crash#

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How to prevent inappropriate teen use?

June 17, 2019 Abuse, Adolescents, Adverse Effects, Anxiety, Behavior change, Cannabis, Cannabis News, Cognition, Driving, Heavy Use, Illicit Drug Use, Legislation, News, Occasional Use, Pediatrics, Regulation, Social Justice, THC

Especially in Colorado and Washington, people are taking note of teens’ use and access to potent marijuana, and many are concerned that there are not enough measures in place to prevent this. Newly legalized states should look into this before it becomes a national issue. https://wapo.st/2Fgmto9

Alcohol Hangover Has Detrimental Impact Upon Both Executive Function and Prospective Memory

June 11, 2019 Abuse, Alcohol, Behavior change, Cannabis, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Cognition, Concussion, Depression, Driving, Future Medicine, Memory, Mental Health, Mood, Muscle Pain, Occasional Use, Pain, Products, Science, Sleep, Social Justice, Stress, THC, Welfare

In a study that excluded cannabis users, researchers found that alcohol hangovers significantly impair both executive function (paying attention, regulating emotions, etc.) and prospective memory (remembering future plans).

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Effects of Cannabis are More Marked in Occasional Rather than Chronic Cannabis Users

June 5, 2019 Blood-Levels, Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Driving, Heavy Use, Occasional Use, Reaction Time

Effect of Smoked Cannabis on Vigilance and Accident Risk Using Simulated Driving in Occasional and Chronic Users and the Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Relationship

In a study comparing the short-term effects of cannabis consumption on occasional and chronic cannabis users, occasional users were found to have slower reaction times, experience effects sooner, and have cannabis persist in their bloodstream longer than among chronic cannabis users. Both occasional and chronic users experienced impaired reaction times that affected their performance in a driving simulation. Both chronic and occasional marijuana users should be cognizant of the amount of time in which they are impaired following cannabis consumption and abstain from driving.

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