Sustainability

Can You Drive on CBD Oil in the UK?

Sustainability

Can You Drive on CBD Oil in the UK?

Imagine this. You’ve hit the chill-out button and taken some CBD, but you get a call. Your granny needs you to pick up some potatoes for her dinner. She’s got the chicken; she wants a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Good call, gran. But can you drive on CBD oil? Should you grab the spuds or stay at home, knowing you’ve already vaped, chewed or swallowed CBD?

One of the questions our community of CBD fans asks most is “can you take CBD and drive?”

To answer, we’ll look at exactly how CBD works, its effects, and what the UK law says about CBD oil. By the end, you’ll know if you can take CBD and drive to pick up a bag of Tesco’s best Maris Piper potatoes for gran.

How Does CBD Work?

Not to get all science-y on you, but CBD works by influencing the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This is a set of receptors that are naturally found throughout the human body. The main job of the ECS is to regulate processes in the body - like immune response, cell communication, appetite, anxiety, stress and metabolism.

The naturally-occurring compounds that occur in a CBD product (like your CBD capsules or CBD gummies) enhance the effectiveness of CBD. We call this the entourage effect.

Among these compounds (or cannabinoids), you might find trace amounts of THC. This is the compound in traditional cannabis products that gets you high. Only full-spectrum CBD products contain these tiny amounts of THC and, if you’re buying from a reputable CBD company in the UK, it will always be below the legal level.

This small concentration does play a part in the entourage effect, but it’s not enough to have any measurable psychoactive impact.

How does CBD work?

What about the side effects? Can you drive on CBD oil without risk?

Let’s kick it off with the facts. CBD is legal in the UK. It’s also non-intoxicating, so it carries no inherent risk of impairment - to either reaction time or judgement. So at least you can be sure you’ll have your wits about you to choose the freshest spuds on the shelf.

But is it safe to drive on CBD oil? What about side effects?

CBD has some confirmed side effects - like slightly red eyes, feeling hungry and getting tired - but the chances of experiencing them are pretty low.

For obvious reasons, it’s the fatigue people are most concerned about. If you’re new to using CBD oil, we recommend dosing it a few times when you know you won’t be driving for a few hours.

If that makes you feeling like hitting the hay, then we recommend you don’t drive under the influence of CBD in future. Otherwise, you shouldn’t need to worry. Of course, be mindful of dosing and timing - don’t overdo it and risk feeling sleepy on the roads.

In other words, if you’re asking can you drive on CBD oil in the UK, the answer is yes - as long as you don’t experience fatigue from that CBD.

Is it legal to drive after taking CBD oil?

We already know it’s illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs - but what about CBD? Is it legal to drive after taking CBD oil?

The good news is when it comes to the DVLA and CBD, we get the go-ahead. It’s entirely legal to consume CBD oil and drive. A 2020 study led by the University of Sydney found that CBD does not impair the ability to drive, and that this info could “help to guide road-safety policy not just in Australia but around the world”.

But imagine you’re stopped by a police officer and asked to take a roadside drug test. Does CBD show up on a drug test?

Well, these tests are designed to check for THC - the illegal compound you most definitely should not be driving under the influence of.

Obviously, you’re smart. You’re already here at Orange County. So you only get your CBD from reputable suppliers and you’re using it correctly. That means the products you use only contain trace amounts of THC (if any at all), which shouldn’t register on the test.

For extra peace of mind when getting behind the wheel, stick to broad-spectrum or isolate CBD products. We recommend chewing on our tasty CBD gummy bears with 0% THC.

To sum up: You can legally drive on CBD in the UK as long as you’re fit to do so.

Driving UK oil law

Driving on CBD: Dosing & timing

CBD pros that regularly dose will probably still have some in their system when they drive. As we’ve already covered, that’s fine in the eyes of UK law, but you might be worried it’ll make you tired.

Take a sec to read these tips to drive on CBD oil stress-free:

Whenever you dose CBD, make a note of the time it takes to feel effects and what those effects are, along with how long it takes for the effects to fade.
Use this knowledge when building your dosing routine, to make sure any feelings of fatigue have long gone by the time you have to drive.
Avoid big doses of CBD or several hts in a row. The FSA recommended limit is 70mg of CBD per day, but we know some CBD fans prefer to take a single, large dose each day - which increases your chances of fatigue. Aim for small doses when you’re driving.
If fatigue is a concern, use broad-spectrum or isolate products.

There are loads of different ways to get your CBD hit and they can all affect you in their own way. Experiment with CBD vape juice, CBD gummies, CBD edibles and CBD skincare.

Ask Orange County to steer you in the right direction

Our fave thing to do (after taking CBD) is answer the questions of our CBD community. From ‘can I drive on CBD oil in the UK’ to which CBD product is best for you, our team has the know-how to take your CBD experience to beautiful, glowy heights.

So now you know it’s legal to drive on CBD in the UK, and you know how to approach things without worrying about the side effects, you can finally nip out and grab those potatoes for your granny.

If you have any other questions, reach out at info@orangecounty-cbd.com. We’re pretty friendly. Once we’ve had our CBD.

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