An Update on Short- and Long-term Effects
from Part III - Cannabis and the Brain
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 May 2023
With increasing legalization and medicalization of cannabis use, there is need for greater public awareness of the short- and long-term effects of cannabis use on cognition. Recent research has comprised a renewed focus on increasing the safety profile of cannabis to reduce potential harms. In this chapter, we summarize recent evidence to support that acute exposure to cannabis impairs cognitive function in humans, particularly in the domains of learning, episodic memory, attention, and processing speed. The evidence for non-intoxicating residual effects of chronic cannabis use is less consistent and there is a need for further research to investigate risk factors that may slow or prevent recovery of cognitive impairment in some regular users. We then discuss factors that confer greater risk and resilience to cognitive impairment following cannabis use and field-wide methodological challenges that need to be tackled to delineate the cognitive domains that are most vulnerable to cannabis exposure. These future directions are necessary to inform targets for preventative interventions and public health policies to mitigate the harms that people can experience when using cannabis.
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