As per a novel study published in “CNS Drugs” in November 2023, the recommended medical cannabis may have a negligible acute impact on neurocognitive performance in patients with chronic health conditions. To find out the consequences of medical cannabis on cognitive function, Thomas R. Arkell et al. conducted a semi-naturalistic, open-label study in Australia on patients with different health disorders.

As instructed, participants attended a singular laboratory session, during which they self-administered a standard dose of medical cannabis following the directions outlined on the drug prescription label. The cognitive performance was investigated with the help of Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and Druid app before and after (CANTAB: + 3 h; Druid: + 3 and 5.5 h) the use of cannabis. Visual analogue scales (VAS) varying from 0 to 10 (stoned, sedated, relaxed, comfortable, anxious and confident) were used to investigate subjective drug effects before and after 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours of cannabis use.

A total of 40 people (mean age of 41.38 years, 22 females) participated in this study. They were suggested to use different products, such as orally administered oils (23 participants) and vaporized flower (17 participants) for a mean of 10.18 (8.73) months. The most prevalent indication for medical cannabis use was chronic non-cancer pain (20 participants), followed by sleeping illness (18 participants) and anxiety (11 participants). The mean (SD) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) dose administered by participants using an oil, and vaporized flower, are as follows (Table 1):

Participants exhibited improved performance on the CANTAB Multitasking Test and the Rapid Visual Information Processing test over time, with both p-values being less than 0.001. No profound changes were witnessed in other cognitive performance measures over time (p > 0.05). Vaporizing flower was related to significantly stronger subjective experiences of feeling 'stoned' and 'sedated' than using oils.

In conclusion, when used as prescribed, medical cannabis did not have a detrimental impact on cognitive function. The findings indicate that patients on a stable dose of medical cannabis may develop tolerance to the potentially impairing effects of THC. However, it's important to note that these results may not apply to non-medical cannabis use or the use of medical cannabis without a prescription.