The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information
A study published in the journal Psychopharmacology found no indication that cannabis users experience lingering driving impairment after at least 48 hours without use, even among frequent consumers.
Researchers from San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, and Thomas Jefferson University conducted two experiments using driving simulators. In the first, 191 regular cannabis users completed a 25-minute simulated drive following a minimum of 48 hours of abstinence. In the second, a smaller group of heavy users was compared with a non-using control group. Across both studies, there was no association between driving performance and cannabis use history, abstinence duration, or cannabinoid blood levels. Frequent users did not differ from non-users in overall driving scores or on key subtests, including lane position, speed control, and divided attention.
The authors noted that while acute intoxication can reduce driving ability, residual cognitive effects seen in tasks like memory or attention may not translate into real-world skills such as driving. They suggested that larger control groups and more complex driving tasks could help to fully rule out subtle effects.
The study concludes by stating:…