A new Cannabis or Marijuana study released and conducted by researchers from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, has intriguing findings related to cannabis use and cognitive decline. The study, which showed that recreational cannabis use is “significantly” linked to lower SCD is especially notable given that past research has connected subjective decline to the development of dementia later in life.
The results, published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research in February and reported initially by Filter Magazine, indicate that THC’s impacts on cognitive function may be more complicated than popularly assumed.
“Compared to non-users,” the authors wrote, “non-medical cannabis use was significantly associated with 96% decreased odds of SCD.”
People who reported using marijuana for medical purposes, or for both medical and recreational purposes, also showed “decreased odds of SCD, although not significant,” the study found.
Key Findings of the study:
Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD): Marijuana use is associated with lower odds of subjective cognitive decline (SCD). People who consume cannabis for recreational or medical purposes reported less confusion and memory loss compared to non-users.
Significant Association: Non-medical cannabis use was significantly associated with 96% decreased odds of SCD when compared to non-users.
Medical Use: Individuals who reported using marijuana for medical purposes, or both medical and recreational purposes, also showed decreased odds of SCD, although not statistically significant.
Complex Impacts:
The study highlights that THC’s impacts on cognitive function may be more complicated than commonly assumed.
Previous Research: Past studies have linked long-term or frequent cannabis use to compromised verbal recall performance, worsened cognitive function, and subjective memory complaints.
Comprehensive Examination:
The researchers considered various factors, including reason for use frequency and method of cannabis consumption, to understand the cognitive effects associated with cannabis use.
The Survey Methodology was that respondents were asked whether they had experienced confusion or memory loss more often or worsening over the past 12 months.
The Health Survey Data used in the study analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), focusing on middle-aged and older adults in Washington DC and 14 US states.
Earlier studies have indicated negative associations between heavy cannabis use and mental performance. The authors of the new study, out of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, pointed to past results linking long-term or frequent cannabis use to compromised verbal recall performance, worsened cognitive function and subjective memory complaints, for example.
“However, the cognitive implications of cannabis are not only determined by the frequency of cannabis consumption,” they wrote, noting that other factors; including product formulation, method of administration, and reason for use may also “impact the cognitive effects associated with cannabis use.”
“Our study addresses these knowledge gaps by comprehensively examining how reason, frequency, and method of cannabis use are associated with SCD among US middle-aged and older adults,” they wrote.
Some of the results of the new study were mixed, however per reporting in Marijuana Moment, including that an association between the method of cannabis use and SCD. “In general,” the study says, “SCD was more common among those who used cannabis through any method. Especially for cannabis smokers, there was a higher prevalence of SCD (11.2%) compared to no reported SCD (4.7%).”
Some tests also showed a statistically significant association between cannabis use frequency and SCD. “The average days of cannabis consumption for those who had SCD (mean=8.68, SD=3.14) was significantly higher than the average days of cannabis use for those who did not have SCD (mean=5.44, SD=1.20),” the study says per Marijuana Moment.
This article is confusing. Does daily use of marijuana cause cognitive decline or does it reduce cognitive decline ?
The study says it reduces it but the final conclusion was the jury is out as that is contrary to other studies thus more study is needed.
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