Cannabis Zero-Tolerance Policies “Not Scientific”
New Research Shows No Signs of Impairment Day After Cannabis Use – LPC
New research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows that cannabis zero-tolerance policies are not scientifically based. Researchers asked participants to consume cannabis at whatever levels they were comfortable with. Then, they were asked to “drive” in a driving simulator down a relatively easy country road at 80km/h.
The study found that participants were impaired 30 minutes after consumption. However, there were absolutely no signs of impairment the next day. Therefore, cannabis zero-tolerance policies are based on arbitrary ideas, not actual impairment.
That casts the usefulness – and legality – of these policies in doubt.
Almost immediately after cannabis legalization in Canada, many workplaces put cannabis zero-tolerance policies in place. Many didn’t believe that it would hold up in court in most workplaces. However, this new evidence might challenge beliefs in safety-sensitive workplaces too.
The Toronto Police Service (TPS), for example, bans cannabis use 28 days before duty – the time it can be tested in the blood. However, the police force has officially stated it is open to reviewing cannabis zero-tolerance policies when new information becomes available.
“(The policy) was made thoughtfully and based on sound advice and evidence,” said TPS spokesperson Const. Victor Kwong. “If at any time there is new science or research to cause us to re-evaluate our processes, we will do so.”
Cannabis Zero-Tolerance Policies Err on the Side of Caution – LPC
Kwong’s argument for the TPS’s cannabis zero-tolerance policies makes a lot of sense. Few people want their police forces to be high on the job. The problem is, there isn’t a way to test cannabis impairment the way you can with drinking.
With alcohol, the effects disappear at the same rate as a person’s alcohol level. Determining alcohol level gives an accurate measure of impairment. But THC is different. It can be found in the blood up to 28 days after consumption, even though the effects of the drug wear off within hours. There isn’t a direct relationship.
Since there isn’t an accurate test, cannabis zero-tolerance policies tend to err on the side of caution. The only way to ensure a person isn’t impaired, the reasoning goes, is to ensure THC levels are zero.
The same reasoning has been used for driving, including cannabis zero-tolerance policies for young drivers. It’s clear that more research is needed. But it’s a catch-22. Even in Canada where cannabis is legal, there are still significant hoops researchers need to jump through. This reality caused three scientists to speak out, stating that cannabis research restrictions are a danger to the public health. In this case, it might not be a danger to public health, but it is a danger to personal and legal rights.
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