Baseline Research Program: Medicinal Cannabis and Driving in Australia
Australia has recently legalised medicinal cannabis and there is concern that the increasing availability of medicinal cannabis and changing social attitudes towards its use may affect the behaviour and risks associated with driving whilst affected by cannabis. Recent cannabis use is associated with a modest (10%-92%) increase in crash risk and crash culpability (42%) as well as impaired driving performance. Due to a lack of research, it is not known whether these findings apply to patients who are taking cannabis therapeutically (i.e., taking medicinal cannabis) to treat conditions such as chronic pain.
To potentially inform evidence-based policy in Australia, it is important to understand how medicinal cannabis is commonly used in Australia, and patients’ attitudes and behaviours towards driving after taking medicinal cannabis. There is little published information on the detailed pharmacoepidemiology of medicinal cannabis use in Australia (i.e., who uses it and how they use it, etc.), particularly amongst people with a driver licence.
The aims of the research project were to:
- understand the pharmacoepidemiology of medicinal cannabis use amongst Australians who hold a driver licence and,
- to investigate patients’ awareness, attitudes and behaviours in relation to driving after taking medicinal cannabis, and how they manage taking medicinal cannabis and driving.
