Review explores the effects of cannabis use on 6 areas of cognitive function

The effects of cannabis intoxication on cognitive function have been unclear. Research so far has been largely cross-sectionalTrusted Source, while longitudinalTrusted Source studies, by contrast, are often more illuminating. There is also insufficient standardization among studies, and their findings do not always agree. A review of studies, or “meta-analysis,” now offers a way to detect patterns in such diverse data. Dr. Alexandre Dumais, the review’s senior author and an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and addiction, told MNT: “Our review enabled [us] to highlight that cannabis intoxication leads to small-to-moderate deficits in several cognitive domains, mainly verbal learning and memory, as well as executive function. These acute impairments accord with documented residual effects, suggesting that the detrimental effects of cannabis persist beyond acute intake.”