This U of S lab got people high and put them in a driving simulator. The results aren't shocking

A University of Saskatchewan study aims to fill gaps in the nascent field of cannabis research and find new ways to test theories about how THC affects cognition.

The driving research and simulation laboratory at the U of S ran a study last year that had participants eat a gummy containing 10 milligrams of THC, the compound in cannabis that creates a high, before testing their cognition and motor skills in a driving simulator.

The initial results are in, and perhaps not that surprising: Consuming THC impairs driving.

The study included 50 participants aged 19 to 30 who aren’t regular users of cannabis.

The lab's specialized car simulator has multiple monitors for a 180-degree view and a motion platform to mimic an actual driving experience. Participants were tested at different time intervals.

“Once they got on the simulator, we saw that their ability to maintain their speed, their reaction time, especially their concentration, their ability to perceive objects in the distance, were impaired more so at 1.5 hours than any other time points,” Crizzle said in an interview in his campus laboratory.

Edible THC doesn’t affect a person immediately, but the high lasts longer than it does if THC is inhaled, suggesting a longer impairment period.

Participants crashed more at the four-hour mark (58 per cent) than at 2.5 hours (44 per cent) and 1.5 hours (30 per cent), according to the study.

It was focused on young drivers because they “tend to have more risk-taking behaviours,” Crizzle said.

“Sometimes they might feel like they can't get in an accident and [are] invincible. So from that risk-taking perspective, they're probably more likely to be the ones that might take an edible at a party or at a club and might think they can drive safely.”

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) funded the study, which was conducted from February to June last year and has been submitted for peer review.

The findings were used in a recent advertising campaign targeting young drivers.

The use of edible cannabis “is concerning due to the delayed onset of effects, which can catch users off guard and lead to impaired driving,” the CAA said in a news release.

When Canada legalized cannabis possession in 2018, it also created new criminal offences related to driving while impaired. Saskatchewan has a zero tolerance policy and drivers get an immediate licence suspension for failing a roadside saliva test for THC.