The relationship between non‐acute adolescent cannabis use and cognition
Megan A. Harvey, John D. Sellman, Richard J. Porter, Christopher M. Frampton
Drug and Alcohol Review May 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1080/09595230701247772 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractRegular cannabis use among adolescents is associated with poorer performance on cognitive tasks measuring attention, spatial working memory, and learning, even after 12 hours of abstinence. In a sample of 70 adolescents recruited from clinical and community sources, those using cannabis more than once a week scored significantly lower on four cognitive measures. Cannabis use remained an independent predictor of working memory and strategy performance after accounting for psychiatric functioning, general functioning, demographics, and other drug use. The findings suggest that frequency of cannabis use is independently related to certain cognitive functions in adolescents, beyond acute intoxication.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 70 |
| Population | Adolescents recruited from clinical and community sources and newspaper advertisements |
| Key finding | Regular cannabis use (more than once a week) was associated with significantly poorer performance on measures of attention, spatial working memory, and learning, and remained an independent predictor of working memory and strategy performance after controlling for other variables. |
Abstract
AbstractResearch indicates that cannabis continues to be a popular illegal drug internationally. Furthermore, adolescent rates of use appear to be significant. Whilst the non‐acute effect of cannabis use on adult cognition has been extensively researched, there has been less examination of adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the non‐acute relationship between cannabis and cognitive function in a sample of adolescents with a continuum of cannabis use, taking into account additional predictor variables (psychiatric functioning, general functioning, demographics and other drug use). Seventy adolescents were recruited from clinical and community sources as well as through newspaper advertisements. After 12 hours abstinence from cannabis, adolescents completed a two‐hour interview covering: demographics; alcohol and drug use history; drug use in the past 28 days; depression; further psychiatric functioning (including ADHD and Conduct Disorder); and cognitive functioning as measured by computerised tasks (CANTAB) and traditional pen and paper tests. Adolescents who were regular cannabis users (more than once a week) had a significantly poorer performance on four measures of cognitive function reflecting attention, spatial working memory and learning. Cannabis use remained an independent predictor of performance on the working memory and strategy measures after additional predictor variables were included in a multivariate regression analysis. The results suggest that aspects of adolescent cognitive function are independently related to the frequency of cannabis use beyond acute intoxication.