www.upi.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6812:120a  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET /search

<form method="get" action="/search" class="d-inline-block">
  <input class="form-control" name="ss" placeholder="Search">
  <button type="submit" class="d-none"></button>
</form>

Text Content

 * 
 * Top News
   * U.S. News
   * World News
   * Featured
 * Odd News
 * Entertainment
   * Movies
   * Music
   * TV
 * Science
 * Health
 * Sports
   * NFL
   * MLB
   * NBA
   * Soccer
 * Voices
 * Photos
   * News
   * US News
   * World News
   * Entertainment
   * Sports
 * Archive
   * Almanac
 * 

Trending
Crash kills 5
Houthi rebels
Retaliatory airstrikes
Rep. Elise Stefanik
Apple watch
Oldest dog
ADHD medication
Billionaire taxes
Border policy

Advertisement


Health News
Jan. 18, 2024 / 11:38 AM


MARIJUANA USE LINKED TO IMPAIRED DRIVING AMONG SENIORS

By Ernie Mundell, HealthDay News

In a driving-simulator experiment, seniors who were long-term marijuana smokers
were weaving in and out of their lanes 30 minutes after getting high, Canadian
researchers report. Photo by Matan Ray Vizel/Pixabay



Many studies have found that getting high on weed and then getting behind the
wheel is dangerous for young drivers, and now new research finds it's no
different for seniors.

In a driving-simulator experiment, seniors who were long-term marijuana smokers
were weaving in and out of their lanes 30 minutes after getting high, Canadian
researchers report.

Advertisement





The effect was not seen when the same drivers were tested again three hours
after smoking weed. However, the seniors themselves still rated their ability to
drive as "impaired."

There was one silver lining: Senior tokers tended to slow their driving speed
once high, perhaps because they knew they were intoxicated, said a team led by
Patricia Di Ciano, a scientist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in
Toronto.


RELATED

 * Some medications may harm driving skills of older adults
 * U.S. teens report high rates of drowsy driving
 * ADHD linked to higher risk of car crashes among seniors



Di Ciano's team noted that the percentage of aging Boomers who regularly use
marijuana continues to rise.

They believe that "older adults may be particularly affected by cannabis, given
age-related changes in cognition," they added. Many seniors are also prescribed
medications, and the combination of those meds with marijuana could also be
problematic.

While there's been lots of study on the effect of marijuana on younger drivers,
the effects of cannabis on driving among seniors "remain unknown," according to
the Toronto team.

Advertisement





To help answer the question, they recruited 31 seniors, averaging about 69 years
of age, to sit in a special virtual driving simulator.

All participants were longtime, frequent weed users (40 years, on average), and
all were told to come to the experiments with their preferred type of legal
marijuana. They were told to smoke the marijuana at their "usual amount."

Each participant's driving skills were then tested in the simulator at two time
points: 30 minutes after getting high and then again at 180 minutes.

Significant evidence of "weaving" appeared at the 30-minute mark, although
drivers also tended to slow down at this point, the researchers noted.

This wandering in and out of lanes appeared to disappear by the 180-minute mark,
Di Ciano's group said.

However, when queried, participants "still rated their ability to drive at 180
minutes as impaired," according to the study.

Blood samples were taken during the experiments, and "THC levels were above the
legal threshold [for driving] for most participants," Di Ciano's group noted.

There's a theory that people who've regularly smoked marijuana for decades might
build up a "tolerance," so perhaps their driving skills wouldn't be affected.

The new study proved that theory false.

Advertisement





Based on the findings, "cannabis can impair driving in older adults when they
smoke their usual product," Di Ciano and her team concluded.

Their advice: "Older drivers should refrain from using cannabis when
contemplating operation of a motor vehicle."

The study was published in Thursday's issue of JAMA Network Open.

More information

There's more on weed's effect on driving at the United States Department of
Transportation.

Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.



 * Topics
 * Marijuana





LATEST HEADLINES

Health News // 1 hour ago
States with tightest abortion restrictions have higher infant death rates
Abortion bans are intended to preserve the lives of children, proponents say,
but a new study has found infants are more likely to die in the states with the
most restrictive laws.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 3 hours ago
Driving habits may signal a sleep disorder
Folks with sleep apnea frequently employ more than three strategies while
driving, in an attempt to remain awake and alert, British researchers found.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 4 hours ago
Survival rate for pancreatic cancer improves
The five-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer has crept up to
13%, according to 2024 statistics from the American Cancer Society released
Wednesday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 5 hours ago
FDA approves first AI medical device to detect skin cancer
The first medical device powered by artificial intelligence and designed to help
doctors catch skin cancer has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 9 hours ago
Shortage of ADHD drugs continues as patients scramble to find medication
NEW YORK, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A lingering shortage of medications to treat
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is forcing patients to scramble to
obtain the prescription drugs they need.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 12 hours ago
Teens with high stress levels may be at risk for heart disease later
Stressed-out teens are likely to have more heart health risk factors in
adulthood, a new study says.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 22 hours ago
Plant-based proteins linked to better health among aging women
Women who consume more plant-based protein tend to age more gracefully, a new
study reports.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 1 day ago
U.S. air quality is improving more in wealthier areas
An American's income and ethnicity could play a role in how clean the air is
that they breathe, a new study finds.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 1 day ago
Cancer death rates continue to fall, but more people are developing cancers
Cancer deaths continue to decline in the United States, with more than 4 million
deaths prevented since 1991, a new report shows.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Health News // 1 day ago
Loud video games could damage hearing
For the more than 3 billion gamers around the world, the loud noises they
experience while playing video games could threaten their hearing, a new review
suggests.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement




TRENDING STORIES

Musician plays guitar while surgeons remove his brain tumor

Adding impact to exercise can keep aging bones strong, research indicates

Shortage of ADHD drugs continues as patients scramble to find medication

Study finds no link between marijuana use and starting or stopping opioids

Magnetic zaps to the brain may relieve severe depression

Advertisement



FOLLOW US

Advertisement


Back to top
About UPI Contact Corrections Feedback Advertisements
Copyright © 2024 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy


CLOSE X