The five-year study will be supported by a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Researchers at West Virginia University have published a new study examining (1) the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) intake on driving performance and how it differs for men and women; The 300-participant study is an expansion of a previous pilot study conducted in 2021. (2) In that trial, 30 people were randomly assigned to receive 300 mg of CBD (n=21) or a placebo (n=19) via oral syringe. They then completed a 40-minute driving simulation.
The main outcomes studied were “mean SD of lateral position, percentage of total time an individual drove outside the travel lane, total number of crashes, time to first crash, and mean brake reaction time.” Results from a previous study showed no statistically significant differences in driving performance, but the researchers acknowledged that the study was underpowered. Although not statistically significant, the researchers found that those who took CBD “experienced slightly more crashes, had a slightly higher mean SD for lateral position, and had slower brake reaction times” than those who took a placebo. I discovered that
“We want to take a closer look to see if that relationship really exists. This will be one of the largest CBD studies in terms of number of people,” WVU Toni Rudisill, assistant professor in the School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, said in a press release. The same press release explains that the five-year study will be supported by a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
In the new study, participants will complete a baseline assessment, including cognitive and psychomotor tests, before taking practice drives in a driving simulator. After this, participants were given a placebo, 150 mg, or 300 mg of CBD and completed the driving simulation again.
“They're going to spend two hours with us, eat breakfast, and go on a long drive in the simulator,” Rudisill explained. “They will then retake all cognitive and psychomotor tests and complete a survey at the end of the study.”
The motivation behind the study, Rudisill said, is because while CBD is easily available, little is known about how it affects individuals. Reported side effects include sedation and drowsiness, so assessing the impact on driving performance can highlight potential safety concerns.
References
WVU researchers are testing CBD from behind the wheel. WVU today. October 14, 2024. https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2024/10/14/wvu-researchers-putting-cbd-to-the-test-from-behind-the-wheel (accessed 2024-10-) 21). Rudisill, TM; Innes, K. Wen, S. Hagerty, T. Smith, GS Effects of cannabidiol on driving performance in healthy adults: A pilot RCT. AJPM Focus. 2023, 2 (1), 100053. DOI: 10.1016/j.focus.2022.100053
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