(Isaac Olson/ CBC News) — Young people who use cannabis and drive are at greater risk of being involved in a vehicular collision even if five hours have elapsed since inhaling it, according to a McGill University study published Monday.
The research, published just two days before cannabis is legalized across the country, found that performance declined significantly in key areas such as reaction time after inhaling the equivalent of less than one typical joint.
“This new trial provides important Canadian evidence that cannabis can affect the skills needed to drive safely even five hours after consuming,” Jeff Walker, chief strategy officer for the Canadian Automobile Association, said in a statement.
The CAA funded the clinical trial by the Montreal-based Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and McGill University. (…)