Marijuana use is associated with lower odds of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), according to a new study, with people who consume cannabis for recreational or medical purposes reporting less confusion and memory loss compared to non-users.
The study—which showed that recreational cannabis use is “significantly” linked to lower SCD—is especially notable given that past research has connected subjective decline to the development of dementia later in life.
The results, which were published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research this month, indicate that THC’s impacts on cognitive function may be more complicated than popularly assumed.
“Compared to non-users,” the study says, “non-medical cannabis use was significantly associated with 96% decreased odds of SCD.”
People who reported using marijuana for medical purposes, or for both medical and recreational purposes, also showed “decreased odds of SCD, although not significant,” the study found.
To be sure, a number of earlier studies have indicated negative associations between heavy cannabis use and mental performance. Authors of the new study, out of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, pointed to past results linking long-term or frequent cannabis use to compromised verbal recall performance, worsened cognitive function and subjective memory complaints, for example.
“However, the cognitive implications of cannabis are not only determined by the frequency of cannabis consumption,” they wrote, noting that other factors—including product formulation, method of administration and reason for use—may also “impact the cognitive effects associated with cannabis use.”
“Our study addresses these knowledge gaps by comprehensively examining how reason, frequency, and method of cannabis use are associated with SCD among U.S. middle-aged and older adults,” their report says.
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