A study published in JAMA Network Open examined the effects of regular medical cannabis consumption and found medical cannabis patients experience few adverse effects on cognitive function. The longitudinal study indicated that patient functional brain imaging (fMRI) data analysis did not reflect adverse effects on cognitive function or brain structure. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legal medical cannabis programs, and many states have witnessed dramatic increases in medical cannabis program enrollments.
The researchers recruited participants from the Boston metropolitan area as part of a clinical trial of individuals seeking medical cannabis cards for mental health reasons. These individuals aged 18-65 experienced chronic insomnia, anxiety, depression, or pain.
The researchers analyzed structural and functional brain imaging (fMRI) data from a cohort of patients who recently received approval for medical cannabis. They evaluated newly authorized medical cannabis patients at baseline and one year later. The team also collected similar data for a control group consisting of healthy non-cannabis users.
The researchers did not observe functional differences between baseline and brain activation during reward processing, working memory, or inhibitory control tasks at the one-year mark. They also did not detect an association between changes in cannabis use frequency and brain activation. The results suggest that medical cannabis patients engaging in light to moderate cannabis use patterns experience few significant long-term neural associations in cognitive function.
The study corroborates the findings of prior studies that did not find a negative association between cannabis exposure and changes in brain morphology or cognitive functioning. The findings suggest that moderate cannabis consumption to manage symptoms of pain, anxiety, insomnia, and depression is generally safe and effective. Further studies need to investigate the association between cannabis use and cognitive function at higher doses and greater frequency. In addition, future research should assess needed on the cannabis consumption effects on different age groups and diverse populations.
Sources: JAMA Network Open, NORML