Marijuana Isn’t Associated With ‘Hangover’ Effects, Raising Questions About Driving And Employment Policies, Study Finds
Published February 6, 2023
By Kyle Jaeger
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A new scientific review is challenging the idea that there’s a marijuana “hangover” effect the day after use, raising questions about policies that punish drivers and people in safety-sensitive positions for cannabis consumption that occurs weeks prior to drug tests being administered.
Researchers at the University of Sydney reviewed 20 studies that looked at the effects of marijuana eight hours after use, focusing on performance assessments. Their findings are set to be published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
“Most studies didn’t detect ‘next day’ effects of cannabis use, and the few that did had significant limitations,” study author Danielle McCartney said in a press release. “Overall, it appears that there is limited scientific evidence to support the assertion that cannabis use impairs ‘next day’ performance. Though, further research is still required to fully address this issue.”
A total of 350 performance assessments were administered throughout the 20 studies that were reviewed. Only 12 of those tests (or 3.5 percent) found a significant hangover effect—and none of those involved randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled methods. They were also all more than 18 years old.
“A small number of lower-quality studies have observed negative (i.e., impairing) ‘next day’ effects of THC on cognitive function and safety-sensitive tasks. However, higher-quality studies, and a large majority of performance tests, have not.”