The cannabis reform movement has achieved many victories in recent decades, with more jurisdictions now affording consumers and patients cannabis freedoms than at any other time since the start of global prohibition. Scientific research is at an all-time high, no pun intended, and that is great news for the cannabis plant and those who consume it.

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding the plant and its use, and cannabis opponents are working as hard as ever to try to spread misinformation. One area of society where this is on full display is the ongoing debate regarding cannabis and driving.

All responsible cannabis advocates agree that no one should be operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated, whether the intoxication is due to cannabis use or the use of any other substance. However, just because someone has cannabinoids in their system, it doesn’t automatically mean that they are intoxicated. It is a scientific fact that cannabis opponents purposefully gloss over as part of their fear-mongering strategies.

A team of scientific investigators affiliated with various health and academic institutions in Canada recently conducted an examination focusing on cannabis use and next-day driving impairment. The findings from the research were published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

“Frequent (≥ 4 times a week) users of smoked cannabis drove a simulator the morning after (12-15 hours) last use of smoked cannabis; a control group of non-cannabis users matched for age and sex was also included. Concentrations of THC, cannabidiol (CBD) and metabolites were measured in oral fluid and blood at the time of the drive.” the researchers wrote about their methodology.

“Measures of speed and following distance were not impacted. Neither blood nor oral fluid THC, CBD or metabolites was significantly correlated with any measure of driving after correction for multiple comparisons; mean concentrations of blood THC was above 2 ng/mL.” the researchers found.

“The regular cannabis use group showed no significant impairment in driving performance 12-15 hours after last cannabis use the night before, compared to the control group. Blood and oral fluid THC concentrations may not be an accurate correlate of driving behavior.” they concluded.

Cannabis-related DUI laws and testing methods should be based on facts and science. The human body metabolizes THC within hours, after which traces of THC can remain in a person’s system for many weeks, well after any intoxication has subsided.

That is problematic for cannabis consumers and patients who live in jurisdictions with arbitrary per se THC DUI limits that are not actually based on proof of impairment, and rather, are merely based on the existence of metabolized THC in a person’s system. As the emerging cannabis industry spreads, cannabis DUI policy will continue to be hotly debated. Hopefully, as time goes on, that debate will become more rational.