Cannabis and Driving in DC: Plan a Safe Ride Before Holiday Gatherings
A safe trip home is worth planning before a Thanksgiving or holiday gathering begins. Whether an evening involves dinner with friends, a neighborhood event, or a holiday party, transportation decisions are easier to make before anyone is impaired.
Driving requires more than feeling alert
The CDC explains that cannabis can slow reaction time and decision-making, impair coordination, and alter perception. It also notes that using cannabis and alcohol together can increase impairment. These effects matter on a familiar neighborhood street as well as on a highway.
There is no simple way to translate a product's THC number into a determination that an individual can drive safely. The CDC describes the difficulty of connecting THC concentration to a particular person's driving impairment. Do not use a label, a lab result, or confidence in your driving ability as clearance to get behind the wheel.
Allow for delayed effects
According to the CDC, edible cannabis can take 30 minutes to two hours to produce intoxicating effects, and those effects may last longer than expected. That range is not a recommended waiting period before driving. The safest choice when you intend to drive is to avoid alcohol and drugs, including cannabis.
Make the transportation decision first
CDC prevention guidance recommends arranging a trusted designated driver who will not drink alcohol or use drugs, or using a taxi or rideshare when needed. Plan both the trip out and the return. If arrangements change during the evening, arrange another safe ride rather than relying on an impaired driver.
Do not ride with someone who is impaired, and help friends arrange an alternative. Everyone should wear a seat belt, including passengers in the back seat. Hosts can make the plan easier by reminding guests about transportation before the event and helping coordinate a sober ride home.
Remember medicines, too
Prescription medicines and some over-the-counter medicines can also affect driving. Read the warnings and ask a healthcare professional or pharmacist when you are unsure. The CDC advises avoiding driving if you do not know how a medicine will affect you or have been told not to drive after taking it.
This article offers general safety education. It does not provide a personal impairment assessment, a safe-to-drive waiting time, or individualized medical advice.
Skip the drive with delivery
Best Stop offers DC-only delivery to eligible registered patients, so you do not need to drive to stock up before a gathering. Check our delivery areas or plan a visit to our Columbia Heights store, a short walk from the Columbia Heights Metro station.
Sources
Sources reviewed September 30, 2026.
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