Marijuana users may be getting behind the wheel too soon after smoking

Marijuana users may be getting behind the wheel too soon after smoking.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 53% of surveyed individuals admitted to consuming cannabis an hour or less before driving.

Tom Marcotte, co-director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California San Diego, highlighted that individuals may feel ready to drive after using marijuana, but their driving simulator performance may indicate otherwise.

Marcotte emphasized that people’s judgment of their impairment levels can be inaccurate, even if they believe they are more focused or better drivers after consuming cannabis.

The AAA survey revealed that 47% of people believe they drive the same, 15% think they drive a little better, and 19% believe consuming cannabis before driving makes them a much better driver, despite potential impairments.

Marcotte cautioned that the effects of marijuana can last for 3.5 to 4 hours for many individuals, with marijuana-infused food potentially prolonging these effects.