Teen cannabis use linked to slower memory and thinking growth
A long-term study of over 11,000 teenagers indicates that cannabis use is associated with slower cognitive development in areas like memory and attention. Researchers observed that while some teens initially performed well, their cognitive gains plateaued after starting cannabis use.
Why it matters
The findings provide significant evidence regarding the impact of substance use on adolescent brain development and long-term academic or functional outcomes.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have found that teenagers who start using cannabis may develop memory and thinking abilities more slowly than teens who do not use it. The findings were published in Neuropsychopharmacology and were based on data from more than 11,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term investigation of brain development among young people in the United States.
"Adolescence is a critical time for brain development, and what we're seeing is that teens who start using cannabis aren't improving at the same rate as their peers," said Natasha Wade, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "These differences may seem small at first, but they can add up in ways that affect learning, memory and everyday functioning."
Tracking Cannabis Use and Cognitive Growth
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