CALGARY -- Do you understand the impact cannabis edibles have on your driving?
A new survey has found that one-in-five Albertans don't.
The study, conducted by the Alberta Motor Association, was released Thursday as many Albertans are getting into the swing of the holidays with plenty of Christmas parties.
It also found one-in-four Albertans had no idea about the effect edibles have on driving as compared to smoking or vaping cannabis.
The AMA says cannabis must always be separated from driving.
"What's different is that edibles have a delayed effect that can mislead people into thinking they’re ok to get behind the wheel. This increases the risk of being surprised by impairment while driving," says Jeff Kasbrick, AMA's vice president of government and stakeholder relations in a release.
The group says, according to data from an Ontario study, 72 per cent of cannabis users admitted they drove within three hours of consuming the drug and 27 per cent of those people said they still felt high while driving.
Kasbrick says if those behaviours occur in Alberta, the incidences of drug-impaired driving could be a major problem.
"The fact is, just like other forms of cannabis, they affect your reaction time, attention span, coordination and decision-making – virtually everything required to drive. It’s just not worth the risk to get behind the wheel if you consume," he said.
Approximately 1,800 AMA members were polled between Sept. 25 and Oct. 11 for the study.
It also found 45 per cent of respondents believed edibles pose the same risk as smoked or vaped cannabis and five per cent believe edibles are safer to consume.
