Georgia Injury Law Blog
CBD products have become extremely popular in recent years, as more states, including Georgia, have loosened restrictions on the sale of products containing cannabis for the treatment of certain conditions including chronic pain, anxiety and other conditions. The use of CBD products increased exponentially this year by people trying to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
There may be an increased risk of being involved in car accidents when you are on some types of products containing cannabis. New research indicates that CBD products that contain THC, could significantly increase a person’s risk of being involved in an accident.
There has been concern about the effect of cannabis on a person’s driving abilities. Driving under the influence of drugs can significantly impair a person’s driving skills and increase the risks of being involved in an accident. However, as the use of products containing marijuana increases around Georgia, it is also important for us to learn more about how the use of these products affects a person’s driving abilities.
A group of researchers conducted an on-the-road study to specifically measure the effects of several types of products containing marijuana. The researchers wanted to determine the effect of these products on the person’s driving abilities.
The subjects were given vaporized cannabis that included combinations of THC and CBD. Some participants were given a placebo. The participants were made to drive a 62 -mile course at two intervals – once at 40 minutes after ingestion, and once again, about 4 hours after inhaling the product.
At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that cannabis-containing products that included a higher percentage of THC, impaired driving abilities to a greater extent than the other products. CBD products that had a higher concentration of THC caused impairment of a person’s driving ability at 40 minutes, but not as much when he drove 4 hours after taking the medication. The impairment was equal to that seen with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. That is lower than the maximum legal limit for blood alcohol intoxication, but it can be sufficient to increase accident risks. When the product contained mostly CBD, there was no impact on the person’s driving abilities.
With an increasing popularity of CBD products, it is important that studies like these are conducted to understand the role of these products in increasing accident risks. This study seems to indicate that driving immediately after or within an hour after ingesting these products, especially those containing mostly THC, can significantly increase a person’s risk of being involved in an accident.
If you are currently taking any CBD products for the treatment of any condition, avoid driving a car immediately after ingesting these products. There may be a risk of “buzzed driving,” when you are at the wheel soon after ingestion.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident caused by impaired driving, talk to an Atlanta car accident attorney at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers. You might have legal claims for damages, including medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering as well as several other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.