Recently sitting in a reception area, I picked up a magazine and read an article about CBD oil. The article mentioned a driver in the USA who lost his licence after testing positive for drugs. The driver said that he never took marijuana but did take CBD oil. This prompted me to ask our friends at HealthReach if professional drivers should be concerned if they are taking CBD oil.

HealthReach told us that Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is a cannabis derivative from the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant is made up of two main parts: CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant whilst THC is psychoactive.

CBD food supplements are now very popular and these products may be sold legally provided they contain no THC. However, a recent survey which was conducted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) found that many CBD supplements on sale in Ireland had unacceptably high levels of psychoactive THC.

This means that consumers of these products could unwittingly fail a drug test and even lose their driving licences.
Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said;

“People consuming CBD products where the quality control is poor may not be getting what they are paying for and also could unwittingly be exposing themselves to psychoactive THC. Also of concern is that people consuming CBD products containing significantly high levels of THC could fail a drug test and the implicated batches of the products identified in the survey are now subject to a product recall”.

The table below is a list of CBD food supplements on sale in Ireland which have been recalled because of high THC levels. If you are taking CBD oil, it is important to ensure you do not take any of the below products due to the risk of failing a drug test. There are alternative products, such as Celtic Wind CBD oil, that do not contain THC and are safe for drivers to use.

Table of Recalled CBD oils