What Effect Cannabis Has on the Brain and Body: Daily Users vs. Occasional Users

In recent years, the topic of cannabis’s effects on cognitive and psychomotor functions has gained increasing attention, especially in the context of public safety.

A recent study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research provides novel information on how the way cannabis is used affects various aspects of mental and motor functioning. The researchers focused on comparing the effects of cannabis use among occasional and daily users, providing insightful and interesting findings.

The issue of impairment of cognitive and psychomotor functions by cannabis is a key public health concern, especially in the context of road and occupational safety. Cannabis is the second most frequently detected substance among drivers involved in fatal road accidents in the United States. However, currently used methods of assessing impairment, such as THC blood levels, do not always correlate with actual impairment. This poses a significant challenge for law enforcement and employers, who must rely on more reliable methods of assessing impairment.

Research objective and methodology

The study aimed to investigate how different patterns of cannabis use affect cognitive and psychomotor performance. The study involved 86 healthy adults aged 25–45 years, divided into three groups: daily cannabis users (using at least once a day), occasional users (using 1–2 days a week), and non-users (not using cannabis in the month prior to the study).

Participants self-provided and used their own products, which had THC levels of 15-30%. Pre- and post-cannabis use assessments were conducted using tablet-based tests that measured reaction time, pause acceptance, and working memory. This allowed the study to reflect real-world use patterns, which increases its validity.

The research results

Reaction to stimuli: The study found that occasional users showed significant slowing of reaction times after using cannabis, while daily users showed no significant changes. This suggests that daily users may develop a tolerance to the effects on reaction times.

Acceptance of the break: Daily users performed the task more slowly after cannabis use, but with greater accuracy. This may indicate a compensatory approach to the task, prioritizing accuracy over speed. Occasional users did not show significant changes in this task, suggesting a lack of tolerance development.

Working Memory: On working memory tasks, occasional users showed significant impairments following cannabis use, whereas daily users showed no significant changes. This suggests that daily users may develop tolerance to the effects of cannabis on working memory.

Discussion of the results

The results of the study support the hypothesis of a developed tolerance to certain effects of cannabis in daily users. This tolerance may contribute to less impairment of cognitive and psychomotor functions after use, which has important implications for road and workplace safety. The finding that daily users may maintain accuracy in tasks at the expense of speed may have important implications for understanding how cannabis affects cognitive functions in the context of real-world situations such as driving.

One of the key findings of the study is the potential application of the results to improve road and occupational safety. Current methods of assessing impairment, such as blood tests for THC, are inadequate. The introduction of objective cognitive and psychomotor tests could help to better assess impairment and ensure greater safety on the roads and in the workplace.

Future Cannabis Research

The study suggests several avenues for future research that could provide even more detailed information on the effects of cannabis. It’s worth investigating how different doses of THC affect impairment and how quickly users can develop and lose tolerance. Expanding the study to include different demographic groups, including older adults and people with different health conditions, could increase the overall validity of the results.

Summary

The effects of cannabis on cognitive and psychomotor performance are complex and dependent on the pattern of use. Daily users may develop a tolerance to some of the effects of cannabis, which contributes to their lesser impairment of cognitive and psychomotor functions after cannabis use. These results have important implications for public safety and suggest the need for new, objective methods of assessing impairment.

The study, published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, was authored by Ashley Brooks-Russell, Julia Wrobel, Tim Brown, L. Cinnamon Bidwell, George Sam Wang, Benjamin Steinhart, Gregory Dooley, and Michael J. Kosnett. Their work provides important and novel information that could help us better understand the effects of cannabis on cognitive and psychomotor functions and develop more effective methods for assessing impairment.

If you are interested in more details about this study, the full results can be found in a paper published in the Journal of Cannabis Research .

__

(Featured image by Elsa Olofsson CC BY 2.0 via Flickr)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in FaktyKonopne, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.