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Toronto, Canada: Subjects display few changes in simulated driving performance following the ingestion of THC-infused edible products, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Investigators affiliated with the University of Toronto assessed simulated driving behavior in 22 subjects prior to and following the ingestion of THC-infused edibles. Edibles contained, on average, 7.3 mg of THC. Subjects’ driving performance was assessed at two, four, and six hours. Study participants were primarily “frequent users of cannabis for recreational purposes.”

Researchers reported: “Compared to [baseline], cannabis edibles produced a decrease in mean speed 2 hours after consumption. ... No changes in standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP; ‘weaving’), maximum speed, standard deviation of speed or reaction time were found at any time point.” Some participants expressed a lesser willingness to drive following cannabis ingestion.

Researchers theorized that the absence of any significant performance changes may “reflect [subjects’] tolerance to the effects of cannabis” – a phenomenon that has been reported in prior studies. According to one literature review, “Patients who take cannabinoids at a constant dosage over an extensive period of time often develop tolerance to the impairment of psychomotor impairment, so they can drive vehicles safely.”

The study’s authors concluded: “This is the first study of the impact of cannabis edibles on simulated driving. ... Future studies will need to control for age and determine any age-related impacts on the effects of cannabis on driving. This is especially important given that participants over the age of 50 years have been overlooked in studies of the effects of cannabis on driving and related outcomes.”

Full text of the study, “The effect of cannabis edibles on driving and blood THC,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Clinical Trial: No Next-Day Impairment Associated With Nighttime Use of Cannabis Oil

Sydney, Australia: Insomnia patients exhibit no next-day impairment following the nighttime use of plant-derived cannabis extracts, according to the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the journal Psychopharmacology.

Australian researchers assessed next-day cognitive and psychomotor performance in a cohort of patients diagnosed with insomnia. Subjects in the study consumed either an oral cannabis extract containing 10 mg THC and 200 mg CBD or a placebo.

Investigators identified no differences among those who consumed cannabis or placebo in 27 of 28 performance tests. There were “no impairing effects” on simulated driving performance post-treatment.

The study’s authors concluded: “We found a lack of notable next day impairment to cognitive and psychomotor function and simulated driving performance following evening use of 10 mg oral THC, in combination with 200 mg CBD, in an insomnia population who infrequently use cannabis. ... These findings confirm and extend on prior work by employing a randomized controlled trial design, a patient population that infrequently uses cannabis and who are, on average, older than participants in previous studies, and the use of a regulated product containing a higher ratio of CBD to THC.”

Clinical and observational trial data have reported that the use of cannabis products is associated with improved sleep quality in patients with insomnia.

Full text of the study, “Evaluating possible ‘next day’ impairment in insomnia patients administered an oral medicinal cannabis product by night: A pilot randomized controlled trial,” appears inPsychopharmacology.

Analysis: Proximity to Medical Cannabis Facilities Associated With Perceived Mental Health Improvements in Older Adults

Pittsburgh, PA: Older adults who reside within a 30-minute drive of a licensed medical cannabis dispensary report experiencing fewer days of poor mental health, according to data published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh and with John Hopkins University in Baltimore assessed whether proximity to medical cannabis dispensaries was associated with self-reported changes in adult’s mental health.

They reported that local dispensaries were associated with “considerable mental health benefits for older adults.” Specifically, they determined, “[M]edical cannabis availability affected a 3.48 percentage point decrease in persons aged 65 and above reporting having any past-month poor mental health days, a nearly 10 percent decrease from a baseline of 36.3 percent.”

The study’s authors suggested that older adults are likely using cannabis for pain relief and that its analgesic efficacy is also influencing their overall mental health. Data published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open reported that nearly one in three patients with chronic pain use cannabis as an analgesic agent and that many of them substitute it in place of opioids.

Researchers did not identify similarly significant effects on mental health among any other subgroups.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis availability and mental health: Evidence from New York’s medical cannabis program,” is available online from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Ohio: Dispensaries May Begin Applying To Serve the Adult-Use Cannabis Market

Columbus, OH: Regulators on Friday will have applications available for those retailers who wish to engage in the licensed sales of cannabis products to adults. Lawmakers last month gave final approval to allow for the expedited sale of adult-use cannabis products by existing medical cannabis dispensaries.

Some retailers with dual licensure are anticipated to begin engaging in adult-use sales before the end of the month. However, most businesses will likely require additional time before they open their doors to the adult-use market.

Dispensaries with dual licensure will need to ensure that they have adequate inventory to serve both medical patients and adults consistently.

Adult-use marijuana sales will be subject to a ten percent excise tax in addition to an existing 5.75 percent sales tax. Sales are anticipated to generate between $276.2 million and $403.6 million in annual cannabis tax dollars within five years.

Voters in November approved a citizens-initiated measure (Issue 2) legalizing the possession, home cultivation, and retail sale of cannabis for those age 21 or older. Provisions in the initiative called upon regulators to begin issuing retail licenses by late 2024.

Following the vote, several of the state’s leading Republicans moved to pass legislation gutting many of the initiative’s key provisions. Those efforts stalled after NORML and other organizations generated thousands of communications urging legislators to enact Issue 2 as written.

Maryland: Frederick County Ceases Pre-Employment Testing for Cannabis

Frederick, MD: City officials in Frederick County, Maryland (population: 287,000) have removed pre-employment drug screening requirements for most public employees.

Under the updated plan, only those seeking jobs in certain “safety-sensitive” positions, such as law enforcement, are required to undergo pre-employment testing for cannabis and other controlled substances. The county employs approximately 3,400 people.

State lawmakers last year approved legislation legalizing the production, sale, and use of cannabis. However, that legislation does not provide explicit workplace protections for those who consume cannabis while away from the job.

Separate legislation introduced this year limiting employers’ abilities to sanction workers who test positive for their past use of marijuana died in committee.

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said that pre-employment drug testing requirements “created an unnecessary barrier to employment.”

Numerous other municipalities and counties nationwide -- including Atlanta, Cleveland, the District of Columbia, Philadelphia, and St. Louis – have similarly ended pre-employment marijuana screening for most public employees. Lawmakers in Michigan, Nevada, and Washington have passed legislation halting pre-employment marijuana testing statewide. Several other states -- including California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island — have enacted broader workplace protections limiting employers’ ability to either test or sanction employees for the use of cannabis use while off the job.