A longitudinal study of the impact of marijuana on adult memory function: Prenatal, adolescent, and young adult exposures

Willford, Jennifer A.; Goldschmidt, Lidush; Genna, Natacha M. De; Day, Nancy L.; Richardson, Gale A.

doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106958

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…However, not all studies assess EF prior to cannabis use onset (Meier et al, 2012), leaving open the possibility that poorer EF predated cannabis dependance. Among those that do adjust for precannabis EF, cannabis use was not a significant predictor of later inhibitory control (Paige & Colder, 2020) or working memory (Willford et al, 2021). These latter two studies highlight the importance of accounting for precannabis use EF when examining the link between cannabis use and EF, and that doing so may lead to different conclusions about the nature of the association.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 91%

Ratings of executive function as a risk factor for adolescents’ frequent cannabis use: A prospective longitudinal study.

Cavalli¹,

Cservenka²,

Kerr³

et al. 2022

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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Objective: We examined the extent to which behavioral ratings of children's executive function (EF) in early adolescence predicted adolescents' cannabis use, and whether associations were independent of parents' cannabis and alcohol use and adolescents' alcohol use. Method: Participants were 198 offspring (44% boys) of 127 mothers and 106 fathers. Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) at ages 11-14 years. Youth were interviewed repeatedly from ages 14 to 20 years regarding frequency of cannabis and alcohol use. Two-level models regressed dichotomous cannabis outcomes (annual, weekly, or daily use) on age at the within-person level and the random intercept of cannabis use on EF, parent substance use, and covariates (age 7 IQ indicators, child gender, parent education, and mean of ages assessed) at the between-person level. Results: Poorer child EF predicted significantly ( p < .05) higher likelihood of weekly (b[SE] = .64[.24]) and daily (b[SE] = .65[.25]), but not annual (b[SE] = .38[.22]), cannabis use. Parent cannabis use (b[SE] = .53[.25] to .81[.39], p < .05) independently predicted all three outcomes, and effects were distinct from those explained by parent alcohol use (b[SE] = .66[.29] to .81[.35], p < .05). EF remained a significant predictor of weekly and daily cannabis use after adjusting for parental alcohol and cannabis use, and adolescents' alcohol use. Conclusions: Children exhibiting poorer EF were more likely to use cannabis weekly and daily in later adolescence.Whereas literature suggests poorer EF may be a consequence of cannabis use, these findings suggest EF should be considered prior to cannabis use initiation. EF during childhood may be a fruitful prevention target. Public Health Significance StatementThis study shows that older children with poorer executive function (EF)-a subset of cognitive abilities that continue developing into early adulthood-are more likely to use cannabis during adolescence and to do so weekly or daily. This is important because prior research has suggested poorer EF is a consequence of cannabis use, whereas this study indicates poorer EF may occur before youth have even tried cannabis.

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Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 91%

Ratings of executive function as a risk factor for adolescents’ frequent cannabis use: A prospective longitudinal study.

Cavalli¹,

Cservenka²,

Kerr³

et al. 2022

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

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“…Structural equation modeling (SEM) found that first trimester PCE and school achievement at age 10 were both mediated by child psychological status, which was independent of PCE (101). The indirect impact of PCE on adult memory was also assessed by SEM at the 22-year follow up in young adulthood (105). Although the authors found no evidence of a direct effect of PCE on adult working memory, they reported an indirect effect on adult memory mediated through intelligence (assessed at age 6), adolescent memory (assessed at 10 years), and earlyonset (initiation at < 15 years of age) cannabis use.…”

Section: Mhpcdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of prenatal cannabinoid exposure on early development and beyond

Mulligan

Hamre²

2023

Adv. Drug Alcohol Res.

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Public perception surrounding whether cannabis use is harmful during pregnancy often diverges greatly from the recommendations of doctors and healthcare providers. In contrast to the medical guidance of abstinence before, during, and after pregnancy, many women of reproductive age believe cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with little potential harm. Legalization and social cues support public perceptions that cannabis use during pregnancy is safe. Moreover, pregnant women may consider cannabis to be a safe alternative for treating pregnancy related ailments, including morning sickness. Compounding the problem is a lack of medical and federal guidance on safe, low, or high-risk levels of cannabis use. These issues mirror the continuing debate surrounding alcohol use and health, in particular, whether there are safe or lower risk levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Clinical studies to date suffer from several limitations. First, most human studies are correlative in nature, meaning that causal associations cannot be made between in utero cannabis exposure and health and behavioral outcomes later in life. Due to obvious ethical constraints, it is not possible to randomly assign pregnant mothers to cannabis or other drug exposure conditions—a requirement needed to establish causality. In addition, clinical studies often lack quantitative information on maternal exposure (i.e., dose, frequency, and duration), include a small number of individuals, lack replication of outcome measures across cohorts, rely on self-report to establish maternal drug use, and suffer from unmeasured or residual confounding factors. Causal associations between maternal cannabis exposure and offspring outcomes are possible in preclinical cohorts but there is a large amount of heterogeneity across study designs and developmental differences between rodents and humans may limit translatability. In this review, we summarize research from human and preclinical models to provide insight into potential risks associated with prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE). Finally, we highlight gaps in knowledge likely to contribute to the growing divide between medical guidance and public attitudes regarding cannabis use during pregnancy.

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“…Another study revealed that THC gets attached to the receptors of the hippocampus and other areas of the brain that are assumed to be associated with storing memory ( Blest-Hopley et al, 2020 , Pezdek et al, 2020 ). Willford et al (2021) conducted a study to evaluate the effect of early and/or current marijuana use on young adult memory to check control for prenatal exposure to marijuana use. It was concluded that young adults before age 15 were at increased risk of memory deficits after starting marijuana use.…”

Section: Marijuana and Health Effects: Conflicting But Interesting Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wonder or evil?: Multifaceted health hazards and health benefits of Cannabis sativa and its phytochemicals

Datta

Ramamurthy

Anand

et al. 2021

Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

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Cannabis sativa , widely known as ‘Marijuana’ poses a dilemma for being a blend of both good and bad medicinal effects. The historical use of Cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes suggests it to be a friendly plant. However, whether the misuse of Cannabis and the cannabinoids derived from it can hamper normal body physiology is a focus of ongoing research. On the one hand, there is enough evidence to suggest that misuse of marijuana can cause deleterious effects on various organs like the lungs, immune system, cardiovascular system, etc. and also influence fertility and cause teratogenic effects. However, on the other hand, marijuana has been found to offer a magical cure for anorexia, chronic pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and disturbed sleep. Indeed, most recently, the United Nations has given its verdict in favour of Cannabis declaring it as a non-dangerous narcotic. This review provides insights into the various health effects of Cannabis and its specialized metabolites and indicates how wise steps can be taken to promote good use and prevent misuse of the metabolites derived from this plant.

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A longitudinal study of the impact of marijuana on adult memory function: Prenatal, adolescent, and young adult exposures

Cited by 11 publications

References 52 publications

Ratings of executive function as a risk factor for adolescents’ frequent cannabis use: A prospective longitudinal study.

Ratings of executive function as a risk factor for adolescents’ frequent cannabis use: A prospective longitudinal study.

Influence of prenatal cannabinoid exposure on early development and beyond

Wonder or evil?: Multifaceted health hazards and health benefits of Cannabis sativa and its phytochemicals

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