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Cognitive performance recovery following marijuana cessation in NCAA division I athletes.

Brandon A Ally, Paul A Mentele, Scott A Wylie

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2026.1821656 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 18
Population NCAA Division I football players who tested positive for THC
Duration 12-month abstinence period
Topics Cannabis
Keywords Ncaa football S2 cognition Decision speed Inhibition Performance
Key findings Chronic THC use slows reaction speed by approximately 20% and degrades attention and control processes, with partial reversibility after 12 months of abstinence.

Abstract

Cannabis use is increasingly common among collegiate athletes. While acute tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) effects are well documented, the chronic impact on game-speed cognition, defined as the ability to perceive, decide, and act within sub-second windows, remains poorly quantified. The current study examined whether chronic THC use degrades football specific game-speed cognition and reaction times. Eighteen NCAA Division I football players who tested positive for THC completed the S2 Cognition Football Battery at baseline and again after 12 months of verified abstinence. The battery yields nine primary cognitive processes (Perception Speed, Search Efficiency, Tracking Capacity, Visual Learning, Instinctive Learning, Decision Complexity, Impulse Control, Distraction Control, Improvisation) and an overall S2 Composite, plus two secondary summary measures; reaction speed and decision accuracy. Paired t-tests and linear mixed-effects models (controlling for reaction speed) assessed change. At baseline, chronic users showed approximately 20% slower reaction speed relative to their own post-abstinence values [t(17) = -5.84, p < .001], consistent with an ∼80-100 ms delay in decision execution. Significant improvements were observed in Decision Complexity, Distraction Control, Impulse Control, Multiple-Object Tracking, Speeded Target Detection, Improvisation, and the S2 Composite (all p < .002, Holm Method-corrected). Effects persisted after controlling for reaction speed, indicating domain-specific recovery beyond global speeding. Chronic THC use imposes a measurable performance cost by slowing speeded decision-making and degrading attention and control processes that support play execution; these effects are partially reversible with abstinence. Findings provide an objective, performance-based framework for athlete education.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population 2009 Case-control study n = 454
Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population 2013 Observational study
Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people 2000 Observational
Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline 2011 Observational cohort n = 1,923
Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... 2005 Observational cohort n = 535

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