Recent Evidence on the Relation Between Cannabis Use, Brain Structure, and Function: Highlights and Challenges
Karis Colyer-Patel, C. Romein, Lauren Kuhns, Janna Cousijn, Emese Kroon
Current Addiction Report March 14, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-024-00557-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Heavy cannabis use and cannabis use disorder are associated with differences in brain structure, particularly volume, and in resting-state and task-based functional connectivity compared with controls, though consistency of task-based findings varies by domain. The authors emphasize that causality remains unclear and that heaviness of use, CUD status, age, sex, and tobacco co-use are important potential moderators. |
Abstract
This narrative review provides an update of our knowledge on the relation between heavy cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the brain based on (f)MRI studies conducted in the past 5 years. Heavy cannabis use and CUD are associated with structural brain changes—particularly volume—as well as altered resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in several networks and regions. Task-based fMRI studies reveal altered activity and connectivity in cannabis users compared to controls, but consistency of the results is domain dependent. Heaviness of use, CUD status, age, sex, and tobacco co-use are important potential moderators of the effects of cannabis on the brain. Heavy cannabis use and CUD are associated with differences in brain structure and function, but causality remains unclear, and long-term effects following abstinence require further investigation. Considering moderators of the effects of cannabis on the brain is crucial to further assess individual differences in the impact of cannabis use.
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 3
- What Do Thirty Years of Neuroimaging Research Tell Us About Recreational Cannabis Use and Brain Integrity? A Narrative Review of the Multimodal Neuroimaging Evidence to Date. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation 2026
- Decoding the Neural Correlates of Social Cognition and Emotion Recognition in Cannabis Users: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies. Behavioural Brain Research August 1, 2025
- The role of sex in the association between cannabis use disorder and resting-state functional connectivity. Neuropsychopharmacology May 2025
Cites 15
- Age-related differences in the impact of cannabis use on the brain and cognition: a systematic review European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience January 24, 2019
- Gender Differences in Dual Diagnoses Associated with Cannabis Use: A Review Brain Sciences March 15, 2022
- Does cannabidiol make cannabis safer? A randomised, double-blind, cross-over trial of cannabis with four different CBD:THC ratios Neuropsychopharmacology November 16, 2022
- Individuals with cannabis use are associated with widespread morphological alterations in the subregions of the amygdala, hippocampus, and pallidum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence October 1, 2022
- Is resting-state functional connectivity altered in regular cannabis users? A systematic review of the literature. Psychopharmacology May 2022
and 10 more in the library