Do CBD Gummies & Driving Mix?

Are you placing yourself and others at risk if you have a CBD gummy and then get behind the wheel? If stopped, could you pass a breathalyzer test? Will you sit at a stop sign for hours waiting for it to turn green?

CBD gummies are edible gummy candies embedded with CBD oil. They, and most other CBD edibles, contain less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive compound). Like plain old gummies, the CBD version comes in a rainbow of colors and flavors. Gummies are also discreet and convenient. CBD gummies are extremely popular — the U.S. is the largest consumer of CBD gummies.

Dr. Jordan Tishler, a cannabis specialist from Harvard University, says there’s no proof to suggest that CBD-infused products inhibit the abilities of drivers. A new study by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapies at the University of Sydney determined that without THC, CBD doesn’t affect a user’s ability to drive a vehicle safely. And the consumption of CBD products may not produce false positives in oral tests for THC. 

“These observations suggest that the point-of-collection oral fluid testing devices used by authorities to identify driving under the influence of cannabis are able to distinguish between CBD and THC, despite their structural similarities,” said Dr. Danielle McCartney, clinical research associate at Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapies. “These findings suggest that individuals using CBD only products such as those that contain no or only trace amounts of THC and other cannabinoids are very unlikely to test false-positive to THC on standard roadside drug tests. The current results should provide some reassurance that THC-positive roadside tests are unlikely to occur when CBD-only products are used.”

Dr. Thomas Arkwell, a University of Sydney Ph.D. candidate, does caution that, at high doses, CBD products may lead to mild sedation, low blood pressure, or drowsiness.