You’re Asking the Wrong Question About Cannabis and Driving

Why ‘Feeling Fine’ After Weed Won’t Save You From a Driving Ban in Ireland

Q: How long after smoking weed can I drive in Ireland?

A: That’s not the right question. And that’s exactly why people get caught.

Most people treat cannabis like alcohol.

You wait a few hours. You feel fine.

You drive.

Job done.

But consider this.

"The Gardai will prosecute you.

Will the court convict you?"

The law doesn’t care if you feel ok.

It doesn’t ask if you seem alert. Or if you waited until morning.

The only thing that matters is this:

Is there still THC in your bloodstream — above 1 nanogram per ml?

That’s the limit in Ireland.

And it’s low. Really low.

In plain English?

It’s one billionth of a gram.

If you’re over that, and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety confirms it?

You’re facing a court prosecution.

And if you’re convicted — your licence is gone.

No arguments. No second chances.

It’s a prosecution though.

That’s different to a conviction.

The Gardai will prosecute you.

Will the court convict you?

Still think the “how long should I wait?” question matters?

Here are the basics:

• THC is fat-soluble.

  It doesn’t clear like alcohol does. It stores in the body. Slowly releases.

• Everyone’s different.

  Body type. Metabolism. Frequency of use. These all change how long THC lingers.

• The MBRS doesn’t give a safe timeframe.

  Because there isn’t one. It could be 12 hours. Or 72. Or more.

• 
  

Even occasional smokers sometimes test positive days later.

Regular users? You could be over the limit all week, and not feel a thing.

"Sounds straightforward.

But cannabis isn’t straightforward.

It’s unpredictable. Unstable.

And nothing like alcohol when it comes to timelines"

What matters in court?

Not how you felt.

Not how confident you were.

Not how careful you were.

What matters is what the science says — and how the test was done.

If the Gardaí followed proper procedure, and the result says you're over?

That's enough.

“A half-life of 1 hr means that 50% of the drug will be broken down in 1 hr, 75% at 2 hrs and so on.”— Medical Bureau of Road Safety FAQ

Sounds straightforward. But cannabis isn’t straightforward.

It’s unpredictable. Unstable. And nothing like alcohol when it comes to timelines.

This isn’t a moral lecture. It’s a legal one.

If you're trying to figure out when it's safe to drive after using cannabis, you're already on shaky ground.

The real question is:

Are you willing to risk a criminal conviction on a guess?

Because that’s what you’re doing when you ask, "How long should I wait?"

"If that was the case then every single person

arrested for drink driving, and who was found

to be over the limit, would be disqualified from driving.

There’s be a 100% conviction rate.

But that’s not the case.

Its not a 100% conviction rate, its 37.74%"

Here’s the bottom line:

If you’re charged and convicted:

• You lose your licence (minimum 1 year ban)

• You get a criminal record

• You face sky-high insurance costs

• You may struggle to travel abroad (especially the US)

And no, the judge doesn’t care if you “felt grand.”

The test result is the case.

So if you’ve been arrested — or even worried — for drug driving, don’t guess.

Get advice. Get representation. Be serious.

Final Takeaway.

Drink driving does have one thing in common with drug driving: just because you were over the legal limit, does not mean you’ll be convicted.

Not at all.

If that was the case then every single person arrested for drink driving, and who was found to be over the limit, would be disqualified from driving.

There’s be a 100% conviction rate.

But that’s not the case.

Its not a 100% conviction rate, its 37.74%.

That means that just over 1 in every three motorists who were scientifically over the limit are not disqualified.#

Why?

Because a conviction isn’t just based on the fact that you were drinking and driving, there are other legal proofs needed to.

And a good lawyer will spot those.

Same applies to drug driving.

Just because you’re legally over the limit, does not necessarily mean you’ll be disqualified.

Think about that.

After all, it’s the choice between going off the road… or driving home.

And everybody wants to drive home.