Two new peer-reviewed studies are inviting people to rethink how cannabis interacts with aging, health and everyday behavior. One study reports that older adults with a history of cannabis use perform better on several cognitive tests than non-users. Another finds that adults who live close to licensed cannabis retailers are less likely to engage in heavy alcohol use, especially seniors and younger adults in their early twenties.
Taken together, the findings suggest a more nuanced picture than the one painted by decades of scare stories about cannabis and older adults. They also add to a growing body of evidence that legal cannabis access may coincide with changes in how people use more harmful substances, such as alcohol.
Older Adults, Cannabis Use And Cognitive Performance
The first study, highlighted by NORML, draws on data from more than 67,000 adults with a mean age of 67. Researchers working with the UK Biobank looked at a broad battery of tests that measured attention, executive function, processing speed, visual memory and working memory.
Participants who reported any history of cannabis use scored better on every cognitive domain than those who had never used cannabis. The association was strongest among former users. People who used cannabis at some point in their lives, but were not current consumers, showed the clearest pattern of better scores and slower decline in executive function over time.
Current cannabis consumers showed a more limited pattern. In that group, significant differences appeared most clearly in working memory, while other domains were less consistent. Even so, the results did not support the idea that current use in older adults goes hand in hand with broad cognitive deficits.
The authors emphasized that cognitive harms are often assumed among older cannabis users, yet their data pointed in a different direction. Their conclusion called for more balanced …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
