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Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning

Maria Alice Fontes, Karen I Bolla, Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha, Priscila Previato Almeida, Flávia Serebrenic Jungerman, Ronaldo Laranjeira, Rodrigo A. Bressan, Acioly L T Lacerda

The British Journal of Psychiatry May 31, 2011 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.077479 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed
Sample size 148
Population 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15) and 44 controls
Topics Cannabis
Citations 300
Key findings Early-onset chronic cannabis users (before age 15) showed significantly poorer performance than controls and late-onset users on tasks assessing sustained attention, impulse control, and executive functioning. The authors conclude that chronic cannabis use starting before age 15 may have more deleterious effects on neurocognitive functioning.

Abstract

Background: Many studies have suggested that adolescence is a period of particular vulnerability to neurocognitive effects associated with substance misuse. However, few large studies have measured differences in cognitive performance between chronic cannabis users who started in early adolescence (before age 15) with those who started later.

Aims: To examine the executive functioning of individuals who started chronic cannabis use before age 15 compared with those who started chronic cannabis use after 15 and controls.

Method: We evaluated the performance of 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset users and 55 late-onset users) and 44 controls who undertook neuropsychological tasks, with a focus on executive functioning. Comparisons involving neuropsychological measures were performed using generalised linear model analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: The early-onset group showed significantly poorer performance compared with the controls and the late-onset group on tasks assessing sustained attention, impulse control and executive functioning.

Conclusions: Early-onset chronic cannabis users exhibited poorer cognitive performance than controls and late-onset users in executive functioning. Chronic cannabis use, when started before age 15, may have more deleterious effects on neurocognitive functioning.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students 2006 Cross-sectional survey n = 149
Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents 2020 Cross-sectional survey
User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire 2010 Cross-sectional survey n = 600
Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... 2012 Cross-sectional survey n = 337
Ecstasy and Drug Consumption Patterns: A Canadian Rave Population Study Rave attendees in Montreal, Quebec 2002 Cross-sectional survey n = 210

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