Researchers putting CBD to the test from behind the wheel

As cannabidiol products — commonly known as CBD — become more readily available, West Virginia University researchers are working to gain a broader understanding of how the substance influences driving performance and whether the effects differ between men and women.

The project, which will include 300 participants, expands on WVU public health investigators’ 2021 pilot trial.

“In that study, we had some preliminary data that there was a little bit of difference in males’ and females’ driving performance after consuming CBD, but we didn’t have a big enough sample size to really look at it closely,” said Toni Rudisill, assistant professor in the WVU School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

“We want to dive into that more to see if that relationship truly exists. This is going to be one of the largest CBD studies in terms of the number of people.”

The five-year study is supported by a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

CBD is a compound of the hemp plant, which was removed from the list of federally controlled substances as part of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act. Products are sold over the counter in a variety of forms including gummies, beverages and oils. Although legal in most states, none are regulated by the FDA. Consumers reportedly use them to relax or to reduce pain and anxiety.

“You can buy CBD pretty much anywhere and we don’t know a lot about it and how it impacts individuals,” said Rudisill, who is also a West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute scholar. “It has purported side effects of causing sedation and drowsiness, so that’s why we’re interested in looking at how it impacts driving performance.”

For the study, researchers will examine cognitive and psychomotor functions, like reaction times and stimuli lapses, to compare the results between participants consuming CBD to those given a placebo.

In a lab setting, participants will complete baseline assessments including cognitive and psychomotor tests. Participants will then take practice runs with a driving simulator Rudisill describes as “a very fancy video game.” They will then be given either a 300 milligram or 150 milligram dosage of CBD, or a placebo.

“Then they will hang out with us for two hours, eat breakfast and go for a longer drive on the simulator,” Rudisill said. “After that, they will retake all the cognitive and psychomotor tests and finish an end-of-study questionnaire.”

For the multidisciplinary project, Rudisill will collaborate with Dr. Gordon Smith, Stuart M. and Joyce N. Robbins Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Sijin Wen, professor in the School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; James Mahoney, associate professor in the WVU School of Medicine departments of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, and Dr. Treah Haggerty, associate professor in the School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. 

Rudisill said she hopes the study will benefit both researchers and consumers.

“I think it’ll definitely add to the scientific literature and also help people make a more informed decision if it’s safe to drive when consuming these products.”