Impact of Two-Weeks of Monitored Abstinence on Cognition in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users
Alexander L. Wallace, Natasha E Wade, Krista M. Lisdahl
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society April 20, 2020 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617720000260 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 74 |
| Population | Adolescents and young adults aged 16–26, including 35 cannabis users and 39 controls |
| Duration | 2-week abstinence period with weekly assessments |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | After two weeks of monitored abstinence from cannabis, alcohol, and other illicit substances, cannabis users showed increased performance compared to controls on sustained attention tasks. The authors conclude that attention deficits, but not verbal learning and memory deficits, recovered, a pattern they say differs from previous literature. |
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives: Previous research suggests recovery from cannabis-related deficits in verbal learning and memory functioning after periods of cannabis abstinence in adolescents. Here, we examine how cannabis cessation affects cognitive performance over 2 weeks of monitored abstinence compared to controls in adolescents and young adults.
Methods: Seventy-four participants (35 cannabis users) aged 16–26 ceased all cannabis, alcohol, and other illicit substance consumption for a 2-week period; abstinence was monitored via weekly urinalysis, breath, and sweat patch testing. Starting at baseline, participants completed weekly abbreviated neuropsychological batteries. Measures included tests of attention, inhibition, verbal working memory, and learning. Repeated measures assessed within and between subject effects for time and group status, while controlling for past year alcohol and nicotine use.
Results: Cannabis users showed increased performance compared to controls on sustained attention tasks after 2 weeks of cannabis use.
Conclusions: Deficits in attention, but not verbal learning and memory, recovered after 2 weeks of monitored abstinence. This differs from previous literature, suggesting that other cognitive domains may show signs of recovery after periods of cannabis cessation in adolescents and young adults.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- A Meta-Analysis of Cannabis Research: Evidence of Lasting Neurocognitive Effects Continues to be Lacking Cannabis May 6, 2026
- Network topology and cannabis use following two weeks of monitored abstinence: moderation of sex and patterns of use findings. Frontiers in adolescent medicine 2025
- Disrupted Resting State Attentional Network Connectivity in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users following Two-Weeks of Monitored Abstinence Brain Sciences February 24, 2022
- Introduction to JINS Special Issue: Clarifying the Complexities of Cannabis and Cognition Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society July 1, 2021
- Resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network: Relationships between cannabis use, gender, and cognition in adolescents and young adults NeuroImage: Clinical April 8, 2021
Cites 9
- Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning The British Journal of Psychiatry May 31, 2011
- Tolerance and cross-tolerance to neurocognitive effects of THC and alcohol in heavy cannabis users Psychopharmacology October 30, 2010
- Effects of Cannabis Use and Subclinical ADHD Symptomology on Attention Based Tasks in Adolescents and Young Adults Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology September 22, 2018
- Association of Cannabis With Cognitive Functioning in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis JAMA Psychiatry June 1, 2018
- Altered cerebral blood flow and neurocognitive correlates in adolescent cannabis users. Psychopharmacology August 2012
and 4 more in the library