Bipolar disorder is considered one of the most debilitating mood disorders, and marijuana (cannabis) is the most commonly used illicit substance among this group. It is unknown if the combination may improve or disrupt mood, and if there is further cognitive impairment when combined.
This study attempted to determine the impact of marijuana on mood in bipolar patients, and to examine whether marijuana confers an additional negative impact on cognitive function.
The following individuals were neuropsychologically assessed: 21 healthy controls, 23 marijuana smokers without pathology, 18 bipolar patients who did not smoke, and 12 patients with bipolar disorder who do smoke marijuana.
The results indicated there is no additional impact of marijuana usage on cognition in those with bipolar disorder. In addition, those with bipolar disorder who used marijuana had a significant decrease in mood symptoms.
These findings suggest that for some bipolar patients, marijuana may result in partial alleviation of clinical symptoms.
