Standards for Conducting Psychological Tests for Driving Under the Influence of Cannabinoids

<ns3:p>For many years, driving under the influence of psychoactive substances other than alcohol, i.e.substances with a similar effect, usually marijuana derivatives, has been an issue in Poland. Drivingunder the influence of a psychoactive substance is forbidden and results for example in a mandatorypsychological examination aiming to determine the absence or existence of psychologicalcontraindications to driving a vehicle (Article 82, paragraph 1, item 4a of the Act on Vehicle Drivers).However, defining contraindications remains a significant challenge. These should encompass notonly factors related to the motivation for driving under the influence of substances, but also elementsinvolved in diagnosing potential addiction, as well as psychological aspects that may form the basisfor preventing similar behaviour in the future. Meanwhile, there are no guidelines for psychologicalexamination of this group of people, or clear indications of the impact of substance use on mentalprocesses required for driving a vehicle. Individuals using so-called medical marijuana — prescribed,for instance, for analgesic purposes — are subject to the same treatment as those who consumemarijuana derivatives recreationally. That contributes to a social problem with a real impact on theroad safety aspects.The article discusses the impact of marijuana derivatives on drivers and summarizes standards(recommendations) for psychologists dealing with diagnosis and judgments in the field of transportpsychology. The article can also be a source of knowledge for lawyers, policemen and expert witnessesin this area.</ns3:p>