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Cannabis Use & Cognition in Early Adults

Doctoral candidate, Peter Najdzionek’s presentation, titled “Weaning Green and Thinking Keen: A Longitudinal Investigation of Cannabis Use and Cognition in Early Adults,” explores how cannabis use patterns relate to cognitive performance over time among young adults. Drawing from the longitudinal Beta-H project—focused on behavioral economic trajectories of alcohol and cannabis use—his study analyzed data from participants aged roughly 19 to 23 who engaged in heavy drinking, many of whom also used cannabis regularly. Participants completed cognitive assessments measuring working memory, inhibitory control, decision-making, and ADHD-related symptoms at several time points spaced eight months apart. The study found that decreased cannabis use was associated with improvements in attention, as indicated by forward digit span capacity. However, unexpected results emerged: faster reaction times and higher “go” accuracy on inhibitory control tasks were linked to increased cannabis use, possibly reflecting impulsive response tendencies. Most notably, ADHD symptoms—both inattentive and hyperactive—showed strong reciprocal relationships with cannabis use, where increases in one predicted rises in the other over time. In summary, while reduced cannabis consumption may enhance attentional capacity, other cognitive domains like working memory, inhibition, and decision-making did not show significant recovery with decreased use. The robust, cyclical association between ADHD symptoms and cannabis use suggests a complex feedback loop warranting further investigation. Najdzionek’s ongoing thesis work extends these findings by conducting a systematic review of longitudinal MRI studies on cannabis and brain structure, which so far indicates inconsistent evidence. Future analyses will incorporate richer cognitive datasets to explore neural correlates of changing cannabis use patterns. --- The Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research is a multidisciplinary leader in medicinal cannabis research. The Centre is led by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Initiative for Innovation in Healthcare at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This initiative leverages McMaster University’s world-renowned expertise in health research and evidence-based medicine to create a hub for evidence-based data and innovative research. https://cannabisresearch.mcmaster.ca/