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study links cannabis use to lower risk of cognitive decline, dementia-related diseases

“the main takeaway is that cannabis might be protective for our cognition"

by angelica bottaro
published apr 12, 2024
read time 5 minute read
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read time 5 minute read
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cannabis could potentially reduce the risk of alzheimer's disease, though more research is needed. getty images
a new study published in the journal current alzheimer research found a promising link between recreational cannabis use and a lowered risk of developing subjective cognitive decline (scd), which is the first noticeable sign of alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. the research was conducted by professor roger wong, ph.d., mph, msw and master of public health (mph) student zhi chen. the two used data from the cdc to examine the effects of recreational cannabis use in adults over 45 and found that those who used it had a 96 per cent lower chance of developing scd than non-users of cannabis.

contradictory results for cannabis use and cognition

in the past, other researchers have found the opposite result to be true, with results showing that cannabis and cognitive decline are connected. however, the new data is painting a brand new picture of cannabis use and cognitive decline.
the data collected from the 2021 behavioural risk factor surveillance system (brfss) looked at 4,744 american adults over 45 using a self-reporting system of parameters tied to cognitive decline.
generalized cannabis use was broken down into three facets to help determine the effect it had on cognitive decline in the adults in the study: medicinal versus non-medicinal use, how often cannabis was used and the delivery method, which could be through vaping, smoking, eating, or dabbing. the results showed that the method of use and the frequency did not affect scd in the subject participants.

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doctor's orders: alzheimer’s disease can be slowed with proper treatment and research
“alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. and knowing about it early is helpful because it empowers the person living with the disease," dr. roger wong says.
reaching out for support and resources can be a huge boost for caregivers of people with alzheimer's disease, helping them learn how to effectively communicate with their loved one, discuss financial issues and future planning for the future.
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“the reason i think this study is so great is we looked at all the different dimensions of cannabis use. the fact that we included all three is a huge contribution to the research because i do not believe such a study has been done before,” professor wong told neuroscience news.
other studies surrounding cannabis often focus on younger adults and their cognitive scores after using cannabis, and due to the different results, the new research may show that the age at which a person uses could be a mitigating factor in terms of cannabis’s role in protecting cognitive scores in middle-aged adults.
wong also told neuroscience news, “the main takeaway is that cannabis might be protective for our cognition,” later continuing, “we do not know if non-medical cannabis leads to better cognition or the other way around if those with better cognition are more likely to use non-medical cannabis.”
because of the study’s limitations, wong also stated that more research over a longer period is needed to see how the effects of cannabis use play out over time. “it is really crucial to have longitudinal studies because this is just a snapshot of 2021,” he told neuroscience news.

scd and dementia risk

subjective cognitive decline (scd) is a self-reported measure of memory loss or confusion and is a form of cognitive impairment. it acts as one of the earliest and most noticeable signs of alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases.
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having scd in adulthood does not necessarily mean that a person will develop alzheimer’s or other dementia-related diseases. however, research has shown that it is associated with an increased incidence of mild cognitive impairment (mci), dementia due to alzheimer’s disease, and alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.
the same research study from above also found a link between scd and non-neurodegenerative disorders, including depression, anxiety, failing physical health, and, in some cases, certain personality traits. scd can also develop because of the normal aging process and the use of psychiatric drugs.

strengths and limitations

no research study is perfect, and the data has some limitations that lead wong and chen to believe that more research is needed. the first is selection bias, which is when the selection of participants for any given study does not represent the population as a whole because there wasn’t proper randomization of participants.
selection bias comes into play for this particular study because they were unable to consider the regulations of cannabis use on a state-by-state basis, and some populations could be over- or underrepresented. with more randomized selection in future studies and longer data selection times, this limitation could be null and void if the results turn out the same.
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that said, since the study examined national data, there is an increased chance that the results were more generalized, which is what is needed to get the full picture in research of this nature.

non-medicinal versus medicinal cannabis use and future directions

when looking at non-medicinal users versus medicinal users, the study aimed to investigate the cognitive protective abilities of cannabis based on its compounds: cbd (cannabidiol) and thc (tetrahydrocannabinol). thc is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, and for a while now, many believed the healing properties of cannabis to be linked to cbd.
medicinal marijuana has higher levels of cbd, likely for that reason, whereas recreational use is often tied to higher thc levels. wong notes that “we don’t see the cbd in medical cannabis being beneficial for cognitive health,” which could mean that thc is harbouring more protective qualities currently unknown to the medical community.
non-medicinal cannabis users also choose to partake in regular recreational cannabis use as a way to improve specific health parameters, such as poor sleep and stress levels. high stress levels and a lack of adequate sleep are known risk factors for dementia, so it’s possible that the cognitive protective properties are not directly linked to thc use at all, but what it can do for those who use to improve their scores of factors that influence alzheimer’s and dementia risk.
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wong and chen know that more research is needed, especially if it turns out to have as significant an impact on cognition and dementia risk in middle-aged adults as the data suggests. however, it may be a long time before they can conduct the appropriate studies over a more extended period and with a more randomized population because, as wong puts it, “research is hindered since cannabis remains illegal federally.”
still, if wong and chen continue with their work in the cannabis-cognitive health space, these preliminary results could lead to cannabis being accepted as a viable and exciting new prevention tool people can use to lower their risk of scd and, in turn, their risk of dementia-related diseases, such as alzheimer’s.
professor roger wong is affiliated with the department of public health and preventive medicine, norton college of medicine, suny upstate medical university, syracuse, ny, usa and the department of geriatrics, suny upstate medical university, syracuse, ny, usa and zhi chen is affiliated with department of public health and preventive medicine, norton college of medicine, suny upstate medical university, syracuse, ny, usa.
angelica bottaro
angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

read more about the author

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