Stopping Cannabis Tied to Memory Improvements

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Youth who stop using cannabis even for a month experience improvements in memory, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Some 88 teens and young adults who used cannabis at least weekly were randomized to 30 days of abstinence or to a control group. Participants underwent cognitive testing at baseline and then weekly for 4 weeks. Nearly 90% of the abstinence group had biochemically confirmed abstinence throughout the study (financial incentives were used to promote abstinence).

Memory scores were similar in the two groups at baseline — but became significantly better in the abstinence group from week 1 through week 4. Improvements in verbal memory seemed to drive most of the between-group difference.

The researchers conclude, "This study provides convincing evidence that adolescents and young adults may experience improvements in their ability to learn new information when they stop using cannabis."