Medical marijuana prescribed for chronic conditions does not negatively impact cognitive function, according to a new Australian study, recently published in the journal CNS Drugs. Results from the research, conducted by scientists at Swinburne University of Technology’s Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, are consistent with two systematic reviews published in the last year, writes HempGazette.
“We already know that non-medical cannabis can impact memory and attention. However, our findings show that patients prescribed medical cannabis by a doctor don’t experience the same effects,” said Dr. Thomas Arkell, the lead researcher and a psychopharmacologist with a focus on substances and their impact on brain and human behavior.
Arkell, who also also chairs the Cannabis and Driving working group through the International Council for Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS), added the results “could indicate that patients develop tolerance over time, akin to what we see with other psychoactive medications like antidepressants and benzodiazepines. It could also mean that patients experience some alleviation of their symptoms, such as pain, after using medical cannabis, which might lead to a normalization of cognitive function.”
Study Highlights
The research involved 40 patients who were prescribed various medical marijuana products with THC. Upon arrival at the clinical research unit, participants completed a baseline cognitive assessment constituting of a…
