Teen Cannabis Use Linked to Slower Cognitive Development in Largest US Study

University of California San Diego researchers published a study in Neuropsychology finding that teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they develop. The study analyzed data from more than 11,000 participants drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development in U.S. youth. The research represents the most comprehensive U.S. examination to date of how cannabis affects adolescent cognitive development, providing evidence that marijuana use during the teenage years may impair the normal progression of cognitive skill acquisition during this critical developmental period.

Impact of Teen Cannabis Use on Cognitive Development

• ▪Teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they grow, according to University of California San Diego researchers.

Details of the ABCD Study Research

• ▪The University of California San Diego study analyzed data from more than 11,000 participants.
• ▪The University of California San Diego study on teenage cannabis use was published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
• ▪The study participants came from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
• ▪The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development in U.S. youth.
• ▪University of California San Diego researchers conducted a study on teenage cannabis use and cognitive development.

Perspective of University of California San Diego researchers

• ▪The University of California San Diego researchers' findings suggest cannabis use during adolescence may impair the normal trajectory of cognitive skill acquisition.
• ▪The University of California San Diego study represents the largest U.S. research effort examining cannabis use effects on teenage cognitive development.

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