Study: Consuming CBD-rich cannabis has “no significant effects” on driving

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

A new study found “no significant effects” on ability to drive after smoking CBD-rich marijuana and no effects on vital functions, even though all study participants exceeded the legal limit for THC in their blood, Marijuana Moment reported for the first time.

Photo by Cappi Thompson / Getty Images

In Switzerland, 33 participants each received a joint with tobacco and either CBD-rich marijuana or a placebo. The researchers then ran several common DUI tests.

According to the researchers at the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern, the aim of the study was “to give recommendations for warnings on tobacco substitutes containing CBD-rich marijuana and to inform motorists about the possible risks of CBD consumption” -rich marijuana. “

No signs of impairment were found

The assessment of the drivers consisted of three different tests, including a reaction test, a determination test to measure the ability to react under complex stimulus conditions and a cognitrone test in which the participant compares geometric figures. According to the study, the tests used in the study are regularly used by medical staff in Switzerland to determine neurological deficits. Tests included standing up with arms outstretched and eyes closed while following instructions, a finger-to-nose test, and a “walk-and-turn” test.

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The study found “no significant differences in the comparison between CBD and placebo consumption, between male and female participants, or between the first and second study”.

There were no significant differences in reaction time or motor skills between smoking high-CBD marijuana and a placebo.

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“Although free THC levels reached levels seen as symptoms of impairment in other studies where THC-rich marijuana was smoked, no signs of impairment were seen in the current study,” the study said.

Researchers recommended consumers not to drive a car for several hours after smoking CBD-rich marijuana, as legal limits on THC levels may be exceeded.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.