Get a Clue - Weed

Details: Published: 22 May 2025; Hits: 1

(We must avoid this here – Do not legalise cannabis)

The dangers of legalised marijuana are drawing increasing attention in the United States. While marijuana use has grown markedly in recent years, experts warn of its significant impact on mental health, particularly among young adults. With its rapidly rising THC potency to levels as high as 99%, marijuana poses risks that are only now being fully understood.

The association between cannabis use, mental health challenges, and suicidality in young adults reveals complex patterns, with risks varying significantly between men and women, as evidenced by nationwide survey data.

How Legalised Marijuana Affects Mental Health

Studies reveal a worrying link between marijuana and mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The number of adults using cannabis more than doubled between 2008 and 2019, climbing from 22.6 million to 45.0 million. Simultaneously, the prevalence of mental health issues, such as major depressive episodes (MDE) and suicidal thoughts, also rose sharply.

These overlapping trends are more than coincidental. Research shows that cannabis use disorder (CUD), daily cannabis use, and even occasional use are linked to higher risks of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.

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Details: Published: 20 May 2025; Hits: 5

450 Driving safely on American roads means remaining alert, focused, and fully in control. Yet, recent data shows a clear rise in cannabis use among drivers, putting Cannabis and Driving Safety in the national spotlight. Understanding why this is happening is essential for anyone interested in keeping our communities safe.

The Rise of Drugged Driving in America

Cannabis is now the third most common substance people use in the United States, just behind nicotine and alcohol. Its growing popularity is not surprising; after all, 38 American states have legalised some form of cannabis consumption. Out of these, 24 states allow recreational use, and 14 permit cannabis for medical use only.

With laws shifting and social attitudes becoming more relaxed, using cannabis and then driving is becoming increasingly common. This trend in Drugged Driving in America raises vital questions about public safety on our roads.

How Common Is Cannabis-Impaired Driving?

Recent studies by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have brought new insights into Cannabis and Driving Safety. Researchers wanted to explore how often people drive after using cannabis and what they believe about the risks involved.

Key findings include:

Frequent consumption: 44.1% of survey participants said they use cannabis several times daily.
Driving is routine: 57.8% reported driving every day.
Driving soon after consuming: 84.8% admitted to driving on the same day as cannabis use, with 53% getting behind the wheel an hour or less after consuming.
Perceived safety: 46.9% believed cannabis does not really affect their driving; 14.7% thought it made them drive a little better, and 19.4% even felt it improved their driving significantly.

These numbers highlight a concerning mismatch between perception and the reality of cannabis-affected driving skills. (for more WRD News)

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Details: Published: 14 May 2025; Hits: 13

driver Cannabis impaired driving is emerging as a critical concern in the UK and beyond, especially as a new marijuana driving study reveals more than half of cannabis users get behind the wheel just hours after consumption. New data from AAA and the University of Illinois Chicago shed light on risky driving behaviours and growing misperceptions around marijuana’s effects on road safety. These findings point to a need for better education, enforcement, and responsible cannabis use among the driving public.

Understanding the Landscape of Cannabis-Impaired Driving: A recent marijuana driving study conducted by AAA explored the habits and perceptions of cannabis users who drive. The survey uncovered that almost 85% of regular cannabis users report driving on the same day they consume marijuana. Astonishingly, over half admitted to driving within just an hour of consumption. This statistic sharply contradicts public health messaging and highlights a pressing gap between knowledge of safe driving and real-world actions.

Perceptions vs Reality: The AAA study found a significant disconnect in public understanding. Around 30% of drivers in Virginia believe that cannabis users are usually safer drivers. Such beliefs run counter to scientific consensus and expert warnings, as highlighted by Ryan Adcock from AAA:

“The effects cannabis can have on a driver include fatigue, sleepiness, brain fog, and changes in visual and auditory perceptions. Those effects can have deadly impacts if they get behind the wheel of a car.”

These drug-induced impairments threaten not only the driver but everyone on the road.

Not Just Perceptions – Cannabis-Impaired Driving Data and Dangers: The dangers of cannabis-impaired driving are not hypothetical. Research led by the University of Illinois Chicago revealed a 10% rise in motor vehicle deaths across several states that legalised recreational marijuana, including California, Alaska, Oregon, and Colorado. This data signals a worrying trend likely to be repeated wherever cannabis use becomes more common and public attitudes towards driving under its influence remain relaxed.

Ground Realities from the UK and Overseas: While much of the available research comes from the US, the UK faces similar risks. Drug driving arrests involving cannabis have risen sharply in recent years. The UK’s Department for Transport warns that cannabis impairs motor skills, reaction times, and risk awareness, directly leading to increased crash rates.

Why Do People Still Drive After Using Marijuana?

The marijuana driving study exposes several reasons users take such risks:

Misconceptions about safety: Many believe small amounts or particular cannabis strains have little to no impact on driving capability.
Lack of clear guidelines: Alcohol impairment is widely tested and regulated with known limits; cannabis intoxication lacks universally accepted roadside testing or legal thresholds.
Normalised use: With recreational marijuana becoming socially acceptable in some places, driving soon after use is perceived as less deviant compared to drink-driving.

Cannabis-Impaired Driving in Focus: What Are the Real-World Risks?

Short-term Effects on Drivers

Cannabis use before or during driving can cause:

Reduced reaction time and motor coordination
Difficulty focusing or staying awake
Altered depth perception and visual processing
Heightened risk of falling asleep at the wheel

These effects deeply compromise driving ability, making crashes, injuries, and fatalities far more likely.

Who’s Most at Risk?: Statistics indicate young drivers and regular users are at greatest risk. Repeated use may give a false sense of confidence rather than actual tolerance to impairment. With more permissive attitudes and easy access to cannabis products, the potential for accidents grows.

The Role of Education and Policy: The experts at AAA agree that combatting cannabis impaired driving demands a multifaceted approach:

Public educationfor all road users on the real dangers of cannabis use and driving.
Effective policythat recognises and regulates cannabis-impaired driving as robustly as drink-driving.
Law enforcement trainingto better detect and respond to drivers impaired by substances other than alcohol.
Community partnershipswith the cannabis industry, policymakers, and health professionals to advance responsible use campaigns.

Adcock from AAA sums it up: “Combatting impaired driving must be multifaceted – employing policy, enforcement, environmental strategies, and health information, all to improve public safety.”

The findings of the latest marijuana driving study highlight an urgent public safety challenge as cannabis use becomes increasingly mainstream. Over half of users questioned admit to cannabis impaired driving, putting themselves and others at risk of serious harm. Lawmakers, cannabis producers, road safety experts, and the public must work together to close the gap between perception and reality.

Source: (WRD News)

Details: Published: 14 May 2025; Hits: 90

can reveal The relationship between cannabis and dementia has come under increasing scientific scrutiny as both the potency and use of cannabis have surged worldwide. With cannabis becoming more mainstream, questions have arisen about its long-term impact on cognitive health, memory, and the risk of dementia. Recent studies shed new light on these critical issues, challenging the common belief that cannabis is relatively harmless. This comprehensive blog explores the latest evidence, including major statistical studies, changes in cannabis potency, and the real implications for memory and brain health.

Working Memory and Processing Speed

A recent University of Colorado study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that:

63% of heavy cannabis users and 68% of recent users showed reduced brain activity on tests of working memory.
Heavy users continued to show deficits even after six weeks without cannabis, suggesting a persistent impact.
Reduced activation was noted in critical brain areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior insula, both vital for decision-making and attention.

These deficits are not just theoretical. Impaired working memory affects real-life tasks (like holding a conversation, learning new information, or solving quick problems) and leads to slower reaction times and reduced ability to adapt to change.(Source: WRD News)