With the legalization of marijuana use in states across the U.S., many people are partaking in the numerous ingredients of this plant. One of these ingredients is CBD. CBD is being sold in many stores across the country as gummies, oil, and other products.
One question that arises, though, is whether it’s legal to operate a vehicle while using this substance. We’ll break that question down below.
CBD Defined
When dealing with the legality of whether it’s okay to drive while using CBD, it helps to get an idea of what the substance is first. CBD stands for cannabidiol. This ingredient is the second most prevalent material in cannabis. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants. In terms of percentage, it makes up 40 percent of the plant’s extract. Many people use the ingredient in a variety of forms. If you do your research into such CBD and cannabis-oriented items through publications such as Bloom & Oil you’ll learn that CBD can be used as an oil. The oil that CBD produces comes from the leaves, flowers, and stems of a cannabis plant.
In comparison to this, hemp seed oil uses extract from the seeds of the cannabis plant. At its core, CBD oil is seen as a concentrated extract from the cannabis plant. The resin that CBD produces is primarily found in the granular trichomes (tiny, sticky, hair-like formations) within a cannabis plant. Once this oil is extracted, you can often find it in a variety of assorted products. These include topical skin products and body care items. There are even CBD gummies, CBD pills, or soft gels. Through getting a better sense of what CBD is, we can dig further into if it’s legal to drive while using the substance.
CBD & Driving
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So, the million-dollar question of the day is whether you can drive while using CBD. Whether you can drive while using marijuana is a topic that’s been floating around for a while. Point blank, it’s still illegal to take marijuana and drive. Though many states have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational and medical usage, they have not budged on driving while taking the substance. For example, states such as California, Nevada, New York, and Illinois have legalized the recreational use of the substance in some form or fashion. But each of these states still contains strong laws against driving while using marijuana.
Though you might understand the basic legalities when it comes to this topic, find some professional help to help you dig deeper. It helps to contact someone with a bit more knowledge on the topic. If you’re in Colorado, for example, you can contact a car accident attorney in Denver to get a better sense of the legalities of driving and CBD usage.
In the case of CBD, the agreement is that it’s not illegal to drive after taking this substance. CBD usage combined with driving doesn’t fall under the same umbrella as “driving impaired.” This is mainly because CBD has little to no THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the main ingredient in cannabis and often is the ingredient that leads to impairment. When you take CBD, there isn’t a psychoactive component to a substance that could harm your ability to drive.
Decision Time
Though it appears that it’s okay to drive while taking CBD in smaller quantities, it might help to do further research into the topic. As mentioned before, check with a local lawyer or another legal representative. These individuals can provide you with well-informed instruction that can keep you safe overall. If you’re a person who partakes in legal CBD products, then make such research a priority. After that, make an informed decision.
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