Neural Signatures of Cannabis Use: Reversing Cognitive Ageing via Whole-Brain Functional Network Connectivity
1 August, 2025
Can Cannabis Keep Your Brain Young?
There has been a notable rise in cannabis consumption among older adults. Cognitive ageing, one of the most prevalent concerns in this demographic, intersects with cannabis use, which shares several neural correlates. However, the precise impact of cannabis on the ageing brain and cognitive function remains poorly understood. In this study, researchers leveraged large-scale data from the UK Biobank, which includes over 25,000 participants, to conduct a comprehensive examination of the relationships between cannabis use, normative ageing and cognitive function.
Findings reveal that cannabis use and healthy ageing are associated with overlapping brain network configurations, particularly within the Functional Network Connectivity (FNC) between subcortical and sensorimotor regions, as well as between subcortical and cerebellar areas. Notably, cannabis users exhibited superior performance across multiple cognitive domains, and interestingly, the effects of cannabis and cognition are presented concurrently across a range of brain systems.
In conclusion, our study offers valuable insights into the potential influence of cannabis on brain ageing and cognitive performance. The results suggest that cannabis users display brain network characteristics typically associated with younger brains, along with enhanced cognitive abilities, highlighting a potential modulatory role for cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in neurodegenerative processes, as explained through neural dedifferentiation and compensation theories.
Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA: University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Medicinal Cannabis in the Management of Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review
24 May, 2025
Cannabis-based treatments mitigate symptoms and promote quality-of-life improvements in patients suffering from anxiety-related disorders, according to the findings of a systematic review. Most papers reviewed reported cannabis preparations to be effective at reducing anxiety symptoms in those suffering either generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Among studies with a low relative risk of bias included in this review, 69% reported improvements in anxiety symptoms and quality of life following medicinal cannabis use” researchers reported. “Among high-quality trials that investigated GAD, there were consistent reductions in anxiety scores reported. Similarly, qualitative findings highlighted improvements in both symptom relief and sleep quality, especially for participants with PTSD”.
The study’s authors concluded: “Across a range of anxiety-related disorders, most high-quality studies found that medicinal cannabis reduced anxiety symptoms in individuals with GAD, PTSD and SAD”.
University of Western Australia, Crawley Western Australia; NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence, University of South Australia, University of New South Wales, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, Australia
Psychosis Spectrum Symptoms Before and After Adolescent Cannabis Use Initiation
6 November, 2024
In this study, researchers analysed psychosis spectrum symptom trajectories before and after cannabis initiation in 11,868 adolescents aged 9 to 10 years at baseline using data from five waves over four years from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Cannabis initiation did not consistently lead to an increase in psychosis symptoms, providing no significant support for the contributing risk hypothesis.
Adolescents who used cannabis at any point during the study period reported a greater number of psychosis spectrum symptoms and more distress compared to those who never used cannabis, supporting the shared vulnerability hypothesis. An increase in the number of psychosis spectrum symptoms and associated distress leading up to cannabis initiation was observed before cannabis use started, aligning well with the self-medication hypothesis. Based on the findings, the current research supports the shared vulnerability and self-medication explanations for the associations between cannabis use and psychosis risk.
Departments of Psychiatry, Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
Association Between Cannabis Use and Subjective Cognitive Decline
April, 2024
Recreational cannabis use may be associated with a significant decrease in the odds of experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in adults over 45. Analysing data from the US CDC’s 2021 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System, researchers found that recreational users had 96% lower odds of reporting SCD compared to non-users.
This intriguing finding suggests potential protective effects of cannabis on cognition, although the study’s authors emphasise the need for longitudinal research to understand the long-term impacts. Despite its limitations, the study contributes to the evolving conversation around cannabis use and cognitive health, highlighting the importance of differentiating between medical and recreational use in research.
Public Health and Preventative Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Effectiveness of Medical Cannabis for the Treatment of Depression: A Naturalistic Outpatient Study
11 January, 2024
Patients were 20–54 years old; 72.9% were male; one third reported times of regular cannabis consumption within the previous five years. Mean severity of depression decreased from 6.9 points at entry to 3.8 points at week 18. A treatment response (>50% reduction of the initial score) was seen in 50.8% at week 18. One third of patients complained about side effects, none was considered severe. Medical cannabis was well tolerated and dropout rate was comparable to those in clinical trials of anti-depressant medication. Patients reported a clinically significant reduction of depression severity.
University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen; Algea Care GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany and The University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Clinical outcome data of anxiety patients treated with cannabis-based medicinal products in the United Kingdom: a cohort study from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry
August, 2023
This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) treated with dried flower, oil-based preparations, or a combination of both cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs).
Improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and quality of life were observed at each time point. Patients receiving CBMPs had improvements in GAD-7 at all time points (1 month, 3 months, 6 months). Prescription of CBMPs in those with GAD is associated with clinically significant improvements in anxiety with an acceptable safety profile in a real-world setting.
Imperial College Medical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London; Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London and others including St George's Hospital NHS Trust, and Sapphire Medical Clinics, London, United Kingdom.
Implications of the endocannabinoid system and the therapeutic action of cannabinoids in autism spectrum disorder: A literature review
November, 2022
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, onset in early childhood, associated with cognitive, social, behavioural and sensory impairments. It is believed genetic and environmental factors are capable of influencing ASD, especially cell signalling and microglial functions. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) participates in modulation of various brain processes and is involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of this condition.
Due to the health and quality of life impacts of autism for the patient and his/her family and the lack of effective medications, the literature has elucidated the possibility, Cannabis phytocannabinoids act favourably on ASD symptoms, probably through the modulation of neurotransmitters, in addition to endogenous ligands derived from arachidonic acid, metabolising enzymes and even transporters of the membrane.
These findings support the notion that there are links between key features of ASD and the ECS due to the favourable actions of cannabinoids on symptoms related to behavioural and cognitive disorders, as well as deficits in communication and social interaction, hyperactivity, anxiety and sleep disorders. Thus, phytocannabinoids emerge as therapeutic alternatives for ASD.
Imperial Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Cannabinol (CBN) inhibits oxytosis/ferroptosis by directly targeting mitochondria independently of cannabinoid receptors
6 January, 2022
Study by Salk scientists shows how CBN can protect nerve cells from oxidative damage, a major pathway to cell death. The findings suggest CBN has the potential for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s.
“We’ve found that cannabinol protects neurons from oxidative stress and cell death, two of the major contributors to Alzheimer’s” says a senior author, research professor and head of Salk’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory. “This discovery could one day lead to the development of new therapeutics for treating this disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s disease”.
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA.
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