Marijuana is legal for use in all forms in San Diego. This includes CBD oil, which many people in San Diego take to help with chronic health problems like pain, trouble sleeping, and anxiety.
Unlike regular marijuana and edibles, CBD does not contain THC, the substance that causes you to feel “high and impaired.” Still, the fact that CBD is a marijuana extract makes a lot of people wonder if it is safe to drive after consuming it. After all, state law makes it a crime to drive while high on marijuana. What about CBD? Will taking CBD put you at risk for a San Diego Marijuana Drug DUI?
Unfortunately, even though CBD cannot get you high, you can still get arrested on a DUI charge if the police pull you over while you have it in your system. A new study from Australia seems to prove that this is an absurd policy that goes against the law’s supposed purpose of removing impaired drivers from the streets and highways.
Driving simulator and CBD oil
Researchers at the University of Sydney tested the possible effects of CBD on driving ability using a driving simulator. Participants used the simulator, then received various dosages of CBD or a placebo. They then “drove” several more times on the simulator over the course of 3.5 to four hours. They also took computer tests measuring their cognitive ability, reaction times and the extent that the CBD impaired them, if at all.
Overall, the study concludes that CBD does not impair driving ability, even at doses as high as 1.5 milligrams.
The law vs. science
However, as we said above, you can still get arrested on suspicion of San Diego DUI if the police officer claims to observe you driving erratically and finds out that you have taken CBD that day. The lack of a reliable roadside THC test works against you here, as does the official perception that CBD and psychoactive cannabis have the same effects.