Study challenges negative cannabis stereotypes, claiming link to brain benefits

While cannabis has precocious travel nether occurrence for imaginable antagonistic wellness risks, a caller survey suggests that its usage could summation encephalon measurement and cognitive fitness.

Researchers astatine the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, encephalon scans and cognitive trial results for much than 26,000 adults betwixt the ages of 40 and 77, utilizing information from the UK biobank.

The survey recovered that cannabis users — peculiarly those who reported mean beingness usage — showed larger volumes successful respective encephalon regions.

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"Compared to individuals with nary past of cannabis use, those who reported utilizing cannabis showed larger volumes successful respective encephalon regions characterized by a precocious density of cannabinoid (CB1) receptors — regions progressive successful processes specified arsenic memory, accusation processing and emotion regulation," pb survey writer Anika Guha, PhD, a researcher astatine the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Fox News Digital.

A caller survey suggests that cannabis usage could summation encephalon measurement and cognitive fitness. (iStock)

The cannabis users besides scored amended connected cognitive tests that measured learning, processing velocity and enforcement function. 

This result differs from galore erstwhile studies, which person focused connected short-term cognitive impairment during oregon soon aft cannabis use, the researcher pointed out.

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"These findings suggest that the narration betwixt cannabis and the encephalon whitethorn disagree crossed the lifespan, and that mean usage successful mid-to-later adulthood whitethorn beryllium associated with affirmative encephalon wellness outcomes," Guha said.

Not each areas of the encephalon showed affirmative effects among cannabis users. The posterior cingulate, which is progressive successful self-reflection and memory, had little measurement with higher marijuana use.

"The takeaway is not that radical should commencement utilizing much cannabis based connected these findings alone."

As cannabis has been rising successful popularity among each ages, this benignant of survey is important for knowing its semipermanent effects and the pros and cons of use, according to Matt Glowiak, PhD, main addiction specializer with Recovered, an enactment that provides accusation and resources for intelligence wellness and addiction treatment.

The drug’s effects apt beryllium connected factors specified arsenic age, dose, frequency, merchandise creation and idiosyncratic vulnerability. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

"Given the transportation betwixt cannabis usage and larger encephalon volume, it is believed that it whitethorn assistance [older] individuals clasp cognitive relation that mightiness different people decline," Chicago-based Glowiak, who was not progressive successful the study, told Fox News Digital.

"This is simply a immense benefit, but 1 we request to research a spot further, up of encouraging those who would different not see integrating cannabis into their healthcare regimen."

Limitations and caveats

As the survey was observational successful nature, it could not beryllium that cannabis usage improves encephalon wellness — instead, it lone showed an association, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News elder aesculapian analyst, who was not progressive successful the study.

"The preponderance of erstwhile grounds does not enactment up with improved cognitive relation from chronic cannabis use," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "This survey is an outlier, and though it cannot beryllium ignored, it is not justification for use."

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The survey besides relied connected the UK Biobank, which offers a "large and affluent dataset," Guha said — but it is constricted to the questions that were primitively posed to the participants.

"In particular, we person lone a wide measurement of however galore times idiosyncratic has utilized cannabis implicit their lifetime," she said. "We bash not person entree to details astir however they utilized cannabis, specified arsenic whether they smoked oregon utilized edibles, the benignant oregon potency of cannabis, oregon erstwhile successful their beingness they utilized astir heavily."

Cannabis users scored amended successful learning, processing velocity and enforcement function.  (iStock)

"Those details apt substance a large woody for knowing however cannabis affects the aging brain."

Given these limitations, Guha suggests that the findings should beryllium seen arsenic an aboriginal indicator that cannabis usage whitethorn beryllium related to encephalon aging, "and arsenic a starting constituent for much targeted probe that tin tease isolated these relationships."

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"The takeaway is not that radical should commencement utilizing much cannabis based connected these findings alone," she emphasized. "While cannabis whitethorn person imaginable benefits successful immoderate contexts, a important assemblage of probe besides documents important risks, underscoring that cannabis is neither wholly beneficial nor wholly harmful."

The drug’s effects apt beryllium connected factors specified arsenic age, dose, frequency, merchandise creation and idiosyncratic vulnerability, according to Guha.

"Given the wide usage and legalization of cannabis, it would beryllium large to cognize that it is net-positive for encephalon wellness — however, this feels excessively bully to beryllium true, and excessively aboriginal to claim," 1 adept said. (AP)

"As with immoderate substance, individuals should consult with a healthcare supplier earlier initiating use, peculiarly if they person a past of intelligence wellness concerns, arsenic THC (the superior psychoactive constituent of cannabis) tin exacerbate symptoms specified arsenic psychosis successful susceptible individuals," she added.

Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is treble board-certified successful psychiatry and slumber medicine and the laminitis of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, reiterated that this survey is an "outlier," arsenic astir erstwhile probe has shown "detrimental effects" from cannabis use. 

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"Given the wide usage and legalization of cannabis, it would beryllium large to cognize that it is net-positive for encephalon wellness — however, this feels excessively bully to beryllium true, and excessively aboriginal to claim," helium said. "I would counsel proceeding with caution and moderation."

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Dimitriu agreed that much large-scale studies and reappraisal papers are needed to get a "clearer picture."

"What this cannabis survey shows is that determination whitethorn beryllium conflicting information, which warrants much investigation."