Review of nine studies finds risk rises if drivers smoke cannabis less than three hours before getting behind wheel
Smoking cannabis within three hours of getting behind the wheel could almost double the risk of a serious crash, according to research published on Thursday in the British Medical Journal.
A review of nine studies found that drivers were more likely to be involved in a collision with another car after smoking the class B drug.
Figures show there are around 3 million users of cannabis in the UK aged 16 to 59.
The research found cannabis use resulted in a "near doubling of risk of a driver being involved in a collision resulting in serious injury or death".
The researchers, from Dalhousie University in Canada, said, however, that the impact of cannabis consumption "on the risk of minor crashes remains unclear". PA