CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and its gummies should not make you high. Generally, you can drive after taking CBD gummies. Yet, it is not all safe, and there are many risks involved, depending on the CBD formulation you opted for, the individual ingredients in the gummies, and how many gummies you have taken, as this article explains.
Many chew gummies while driving, and driving after munching some CBD gummies should not be a big deal. However, many factors come to play when commenting on the safety of driving after taking CBD gummies. The CBD formulation matters, where full-spectrum CBD with high THC amounts might not be entirely great for driving because of the intoxicating effects. Besides, CBD is non-intoxicating but taking too many gummies, especially with sleep compounds, might leave you feeling sleepy on the road. This article looks at how risky or safe it is to drive after taking CBD gummies.
Introducing CBD
CBD gummies are great but you want to understand the primary compound, CBD before looking at them. According to Massi et al. (2006) and Bauer et al. (2020), CBD is a non-psychoactive compound in hemp and other strains of cannabis plants. Such compounds are collectively called cannabinoids, and CBD is one of them. Non-psychoactive means that unlike THC, which Schlienz et al. (2018) found intoxicating, CBD does not make you high. In fact, many CBD fans are specifically attracted to CBD and its products, like gummies because of their non-psychoactive properties. The other reason many want CBD is because of the therapeutic claims linked to it, according to Watt & Karl (2017).
Types of CBD and Who Takes Them
If you are new to CBD, you need to know the types of CBD and who they are best for. CBD is an umbrella term, with the following formulations, featured in almost every delivery method;
- Isolate-based CBD; features pure CBD without additional cannabinoids, terpenes, or flavonoids. Many CBD fans prefer CBD isolates since they are less earthy following the lack of extra compounds.
- Full-spectrum CBD; has CBD without all other cannabinoids in hemp plants, terpenes, and flavonoids. Thus, it has a characteristic earthy taste, but according to VanDolah et al. (2019), is no big deal because of the full entourage effect linked to the multiple compounds.
- Broad-spectrum CBD; features as many compounds as full-spectrum CBD but does not have THC. If you want CBD with all the additional compounds in hemp but without THC, you can go for broad-spectrum CBD.
CBD Gummies: Deliver CBD to the Body with Taste and Flavor
There are many ways to deliver CBD to the body, including CBD tinctures and full-spectrum CBD oil. Still, the two options are not everybody’s cup of tea since they are bitter and earthy. If you find the CBD oil/tincture taste unbearable, JustCBD gummies will serve you right. These come with taste and different flavors, mostly fruitlike, allowing you to deliver the cannabinoid in style. Still, you have to be patient with CBD effects since edibles need time for digestion before the cannabinoid is delivered to the body. Otherwise, they make a great alternative for exploring CBD effects for whoever cannot keep up with the CBD oil/tincture tastes.
Can You Drive after Taking CBD Gummies?
Since people take non-CBD gummies while driving, you may wonder if you can also opt for CBD gummies and drive afterward. As stated at the outset, CBD is non-psychoactive, so chances of feeling intoxicated after taking the gummies are low. However, there is much you need to know as far as driving after taking CBD gummies is involved. You need to think out of the box and factor in how many gummies you ate, the CBD formulation featured in the gummies, and the individual ingredients in the gummies, as explained below.
CBD Gummies and Sleep
People find CBD gummies and other delivery methods therapeutic for various issues. For instance, Murillo-Rodriguez et al. (2014) found CBD great for sleep because of its interaction with receptors. The study adds that the cannabinoid positively influences the sleep-wake cycle, boosting one’s sleep. Shannon et al. (2019) also confirmed CBD’s role in sleep and commented that the cannabinoid’s interaction with the 5-HITA receptors makes it possible to manage pain and anxiety, improving sleep quality. Although there is not yet enough evidence to support the role of CBD for sleep, it seems to boost it. Thus, you may want to go slow on chewing gummies and then driving.
CBD Formulation of the CBD Gummies Matter
Before thinking about taking CBD gummies and driving, you want to consider the CBD formulation of the edibles. Schlienz et al. (2018) commented that THC is intoxicating and linked to the high effect which is definitely bad for driving. Therefore, you should care for the CBD formulation of the gummies if you have to drive while taking them. JustCBD Sleep Gummies feature full-spectrum CBD with less than 0.3% THC which should not make you feel high. However, as the THC concentration gets higher and higher, CBD gummies may make you feel a little lightheaded.
The Individual Ingredients in the Gummies and How Many Gummies You Take
The individual ingredients in the CBD gummies and how gummies you take are critical in determining the safety of driving after taking gummies. For instance, if the CBD gummies feature melatonin and are designed for sleep, taking them and going on the road may predispose you to incidents. Besides, the more gummies you take, the greater the risk of road incidents get. For instance, Bass & Linz (2020) reported an incident in which an old fellow suffered toxicity after talking too many CBD gummies. At first, he felt nothing taking the gummies for pain but after ingesting a whole packet, he felt intoxicated. If you must take CBD gummies for pain, keep the numbers low.
Conclusion
CBD gummies should not be bad for driving. However, the more you take, the sleepier you might feel since CBD has sleep benefits. Besides, the individual ingredients matter, and if the gummies feature melatonin for sleep, taking them might mean feeling sleepy on the road. Besides, you need to pay attention to CBD formulation. If the THC levels of your full-spectrum CBD gummies exceed 0.3%, you might get high from the gummies, making them less ideal for driving.
References
Bass, J., & Linz, D. R. (2020). A case of toxicity from cannabidiol gummy ingestion. Cureus, 12(4).
Bauer, B. A. (2020). What Are The Benefits Of CBD–And Is It Safe To Use? In Mayo Clinic.
Massi, P., Vaccani, A., Bianchessi, S., Costa, B., Macchi, P., & Parolaro, D. (2006). The non-psychoactive cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences CMLS, 63(17), 2057-2066.
Murillo-Rodríguez, E., Sarro-Ramírez, A., Sánchez, D., Mijangos-Moreno, S., Tejeda-Padrón, A., Poot-Aké, A., Guzmán, K., Pacheco-Pantoja, E., & Arias-Carrión, O. (2014). Potential effects of cannabidiol as a wake-promoting agent. Current neuropharmacology, 12(3), 269–272.
Schlienz, N. J., Lee, D. C., Stitzer, M. L., & Vandrey, R. (2018). The effect of high-dose dronabinol (oral THC) maintenance on cannabis self-administration. Drug and alcohol dependence, 187, 254-260.
Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente journal, 23, 18–041.
VanDolah, H. J., Bauer, B. A., & Mauck, K. F. (2019, September). Clinicians’ guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 94, No. 9, pp. 1840-1851). Elsevier.
Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.
Ieva Kubiliute is a psychologist and a sex and relationships advisor and a freelance writer. She’s also a consultant to several health and wellness brands. While Ieva specialises in covering wellness topics ranging from fitness and nutrition, to mental wellbeing, sex and relationships and health conditions, she has written across a diverse range of lifestyle topics, including beauty and travel. Career highlights so far include: luxury spa-hopping in Spain and joining an £18k-a-year London gym. Someone’s got to do it!
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