Cannabis culture is having something of a moment in the last few years. Whether it’s the nationwide legalization in Canada or the various states in the U.S.A. introducing lenient legislation regarding cannabis, and now in Europe, moves by groups and individuals to change the laws. In this melange of legislation, it’s easy to get lost.
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Understanding CBD in order to understand the impact on driving
So, what is CBD? Well, CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the hundred plus cannabinoids that make up the cannabis plant. CBD has no psychoactive properties and will therefore not give the same feelings of euphoria as it’s fellow cannabis compound, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Research into CBD is still ongoing but preliminary reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that it may have a whole host of medicinal applications.
Most notably, CBD has a powerful anti-inflammatory and sedative effect. This may be effective for everyone from sports people looking to overcome muscle inflammation faster to influencing those with anxiety disorders. Generally speaking, most of these strains of CBD have very little, or negligible amounts of THC. When a legislator outlaws cannabis what they’re really outlawing is the THC because of how it affects the brain.
CBD dosage and sleep
Initial reporting has suggested that CBD, taken regularly and consistently, may be able to improve the quality and length of your sleep patterns. Curiously, though, it was found that lower percentage doses of CBD caused patients to feel stimulated and more alert while a higher dosage resulted in longer sleeping periods and less frequent instances of waking up. Longer, uninterrupted sleep, allows your body to fully rest and recover and these conclusions could potentially lead to significantly increased quality of sleep, and life, for insomnia sufferers.
Is it legal to use CBD and drive?
To summarise – It is legal for you to use CBD oil and Hemp oil and drive. The question then is – What does this mean for driving?
Most CBD oils which are of non-foreign origin contain less than 0.3% of THC. This can keep you balanced and won't have any effect on your performance while driving. This means that you steer clear from any psychoactive effect and can remain safe in traffic.
So will CBD affect my driving?
With all that being said, are you going to fall asleep behind the wheel immediately after taking some high-quality CBD? The short answer is no. CBD is unlikely to have an effect strong enough to hinder your ability to drive. The slightly longer answer is, make sure that whatever strain of CBD you’re taking has less than 0.3% THC in content.
Earlier we said that CBD doesn’t even have THC. This is mostly true. However, often, trace elements of THC do end up in the final batch of CBD you receive so this has to be accounted for. CBD could end up affecting your driving if you haven’t properly checked and sourced where you’re product originates.
Unless you’re buying from a major CBD retailer, and there are few enough of those, the products you’re getting might not have an accurate content list. The CBD industry is relatively new, and because of the alleged health benefits, demand is increasing all the time. Where there’s a gold rush, though, there are also conmen, and the CBD world is no different.
So make sure that any CBD you’re buying is legitimate. Maybe try it out on a day when you don’t have to get behind the wheel of a car and see how you feel? Pro tip there. No charge.
