The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) launched a six-week digital and social media advertising campaign Nov. 26 about the risk of driving after consuming cannabis edibles. The campaign is based on CAA-funded research, conducted at the University of Saskatchewan, which found that 10 mg of THC is enough to impair young drivers.
“One in five drivers (20 per cent) report having either driven while high or ridden as a passenger with someone under the influence of cannabis,” the CAA states. “Since legalization, studies have shown a notable shift toward cannabis edibles over smoking, a trend particularly evident among youth. This growing preference for edibles is concerning due to the delayed onset of effects, which can catch users off guard and lead to impaired driving.”
The University of Saskatchewan study, where researchers used a simulator to evaluate driving performance following cannabis edibles use, found that driving skills including reaction times, lane discipline and speed control were impaired after consuming 10 mg of THC. “Notably, the risk of collisions increased after consuming cannabis edibles. At just 1.5 hours post consumption, nearly 30 per cent of participants were involved in a collision. That number rose to 44 per cent at 2.5 hours and peaked at 58 per cent at the four-hour mark,” CAA adds.
Fifty participants completed all aspects of the study. On average, the participants recruited (between ages 19 and 30) were 23.8 years. One fifth of the sample had received a citation in the past year, most commonly for speeding.
The study, entitled Examining the Effects of Cannabis-based Edibles on Cognitive Health and Simulated Driving Performance in Young Adult Drivers, notes that 32 per cent of individuals between 20 and 24 and 27 per cent of those between 16 and 19 consume cannabis. “These concerns coincide with the fact that young drivers aged 18 to 25 years are considered a high-risk group,” the report states, adding that this contributes to the age group having the highest crash rates when compared to all other age groups in Canada.
They add that edibles have become the most popular method of cannabis consumption – 53 per cent of those who reported using cannabis did so by consuming edibles.
