A Systematic Review of Pattern and Prevalence of Cannabis Use among Transporters and Associated Road Traffic Accidents

Background: Cannabis (marijuana), while being prohibited in many countries, is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide (WHO, 1997). "Cannabis-impaired driving" refers to the impairment brought on by 9-tetrahydrocannabinol's (THC) cognitive and psychomotor effects, which have a negative impact on a driver of a motor vehicle after THC ingestion. In contrast, a "cannabis-positive driver" is a person who operates a motor vehicle while exhibiting driving impairments due to any measurable THC concentration in blood, oral fluid, or urine. A driver is considered to be "driving under the influence of cannabis" (DUIC) if their cognitive or psychomotor abilities are significantly impaired and their blood, oral fluid, or urine contains a specific amount of THC.

Aim: This study aimed at conducting a systematic review of pattern and prevalence of cannabis use among transporters and the associated road traffic accidents.

Design: A systematic review.

Data Sources: Systematic search for worldwide published literature from PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and Medline databases.

Study eligibility criteria: These studies provided techniques and/or measurements of the frequency and pattern of cannabis use among transporters and the related traffic incidents.

Data extraction: The first reviewer extracted the data, and the second reviewer verified it. Both reviewers individually critiqued each of the identified papers. Data was extracted from each eligible study (including author, title, year, and study setting) following the Preferred Reporting Items on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). These data abstraction forms were examined, and studies that satisfied the criteria were added to the meta-analysis.

Findings: Only 10 studies met all of the inclusion criteria out of the 2,251 papers that were recovered after looking at the titles and abstracts (where an abstract was not available, the article was still counted).

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the significance of education, law enforcement, and routine drug testing, reducing bribery among federal prosecutors, and influencing the accessibility of cannabis and other psychiatric substances as assessments for preventing substance cruising and restricting road traffic accidents. It also highlights areas where the study's findings and the scientific literature on risk factors for traffic accidents and preventative measures overlap. To increase acceptance and improve results, it is crucial to incorporate lay perspectives into road safety policies and initiatives.