From the "no duh" files, NORML offers information on a recent study of pot smoking and distracted driving. The study reveals that people who smoke pot on a daily basis drive better when under the influence than occasional users.
Investigators with the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Iowa assessed driving simulated performance in a cohort of frequent and infrequent cannabis consumers. Participants provided their own cannabis, which contained between 15 and 30 percent THC. Following cannabis smoking ad-libitum, subjects completed a series of distracted driving scenarios.
Authors reported: "Those with a pattern of occasional use were significantly more likely to experience a lane departure during distraction periods after acute cannabis use relative to baseline, while those with daily use did not exhibit a similar increase." Consistent with other studies, researchers further acknowledged, "Participants with a pattern of daily use decreased their speed, which may be interpreted as a drug effect or as a compensatory strategy."
Separate studies have previously reported that repeated cannabis exposure is associated with either partial or even full tolerance in particular domains, including cognitive and psychomotor performance.
