The impact of medical cannabis on driving safety
Cannabis impairs driving performance but most research involves recreational cannabis. Cannabis may not be dangerous for supervised medical cannabis patients (SMCPs) who take it under the guidance or recommendation of a physician. SMCPs are older, use lower doses of THC and may develop tolerance. This research will use a high-fidelity driving simulator to assess driving performance in SMCPs who use cannabis for common indications (pain, sleep, anxiety/depression). This study will examine 1) the long-term impact of medical cannabis by measuring changes in driving performance and cognition after initiation of cannabis therapy and 2) the acute effects of inhaled or oral THC. In addition, we will explore factors associated with driving and cognitive performance in SMCPs.
Understanding the duration and magnitude of driving impairment in SMCPs is relevant for SMCPs, healthcare providers and road safety groups. Knowing how often SMCPs have THC above legal limits and whether their driving is impaired is policy relevant. We will identify SMCPs at higher risk of impairment, elucidate the association between cannabinoid levels and impairment, and identify possible interactions between cannabis and other impairing medications.
This study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Recruitment is open! Sign up here (new patients) or here (current patients)
For more information, please contact us at emed.driversim@ubc.ca.