| The largest study on cannabis and its impact on brain function suggests the use of the substance has a statistically significant effect on working memory, per findings released yesterday. Researchers examined 1,003 individuals ages 22 to 36 using brain imaging technology. Participants were categorized based on their lifetime usage: Heavy users had used cannabis more than 1,000 times, moderate users had used it between 10 and 999 times, and nonusers had used it fewer than 10 times. Results (view abstract) showed 63% of heavy lifetime cannabis users and 68% of recent users experienced reduced brain activity when performing working memory tasks. Working memory allows individuals to retain and manipulate short-term information, such as memorizing directions or solving math problems mentally. The study further found heavy cannabis use negatively impacted brain regions responsible for decision-making, memory, attention, and emotional processing. See an overview of cannabis here. |
