Studying older adults offers an opportunity to explore associations among cannabis use, brain structure, and cognitive function and to observe any potential harm or benefit from the use of cannabis (marijuana).
This pilot study used structural MRI to compare brain volume and function between users and non-users of marijuana. On average, the users had 23.5 years of regular cannabis use.
Researchers found no difference between gray and white matter volume between the groups. Additionally, no significant differences between groups were observed in performance on a brief computerized cognitive battery. This suggests that cannabis use likely does not have a widespread impact on overall cortical volume.
