KU alumnus publishes research on cannabis use and driving with support from Guthrie award

Will Davis, a KU alumnus mentored by Michael Amlung of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, recently published research on cannabis use. Davis, who is a research program coordinator in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, conducted his research at KU with the help of the Patrick Guthrie Hawks for Hope Award. 

Davis’ study compared the perceived risk of driving after cannabis use among people in the United States and in Canada who have used cannabis in the past six months. The study was conducted in collaboration with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. 

The study found people in Canada had higher expectations of danger than did those in the United States. Among both groups, his study found more favorable attitudes and lower risk perceptions about driving while under the influence of cannabis were correlated with higher frequency of driving after cannabis use. 

The Guthrie family of Kansas City established the Patrick Guthrie Hawks for Hope Award in memory of Patrick Guthrie with the purpose to encourage, elevate and reward postsecondary research in addiction at the Cofrin Logan Center, a part of the KU Life Span Institute.