The Relationship Between Cannabis, Cognition, and Schizophrenia: It’s Complicated
Hakan Kayır, Jessica Ruffolo, Patrick McCunn, Jibran Y. Khokhar
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2022 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_396 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Keywords | Effects of cannabis Cognition Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Psychosis Context archaeology Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Cannabis use is associated with poorer cognition in healthy subjects but better overall cognitive performance in schizophrenia patients, despite being linked to symptom exacerbation and poorer treatment outcomes. |
Abstract
America and across the globe. Cannabis use has multifaceted impacts on cognition in schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects. Healthy subjects, particularly those who initiated cannabis use at earlier ages and used high-potency cannabis for longer durations, exhibited poorer cognition mainly in working memory and attention. Cannabis use in schizophrenia has been associated with symptom exacerbation, longer and more frequent psychotic episodes, and poorer treatment outcomes. However, cannabis-using patients have better overall cognitive performance compared to patients who were not cannabis users.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Randomized Laboratory Study of Single-Dose Cannabis, Dronabinol, and Placebo in Patients With Schizophrenia and Cannabis Use Disorder Schizophrenia Bulletin June 20, 2024
- Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) Dose Dependently Blocks or Substitutes for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a Drug Discrimination Task in Rats Biomolecules September 18, 2025
- The Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Schizophrenia As a Risk Factor or For Its Therapeutic Potential: A Systematic Review of Evidence Cureus September 20, 2025
- Impaired mnemonic pattern separation associated with PTSD symptoms paradoxically improves with regular cannabis use npj Mental Health Research April 24, 2025
- Perturbation of 3D nuclear architecture, epigenomic dysregulation and aging, and cannabinoid synaptopathy reconfigures conceptualization of cannabinoid pathophysiology: part 1–aging and epigenomics Frontiers in Psychiatry September 5, 2023
and 4 more in the library
Cites 32
- The Impact of Cannabis Use on Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis of Existing Findings and New Data in a First-Episode Sample Schizophrenia Bulletin July 25, 2010
- Cannabis use and cognitive dysfunction Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2011
- Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol produce dissociable effects on prefrontal cortical executive function and regulation of affective behaviors Neuropsychopharmacology November 27, 2018
- Premorbid Adjustment and IQ in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis: A Multisite Case-Control Study of Their Relationship With Cannabis Use Schizophrenia Bulletin July 2, 2019
- Phytocannabinoids and schizophrenia: Focus on adolescence as a critical window of enhanced vulnerability and opportunity for treatment. Pharmacological Research December 1, 2021
and 27 more in the library