People who consume cannabis may have a lower chance of experiencing subjective cognitive decline compared to people who do not, according to a study published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research.
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a condition categorised by the self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent episodes of memory loss and confusion. It is seen as one of the earliest signs of the onset of Alzheimer’s.
In the study, a cohort of 4744 adults aged 45 and above had their frequency of cannabis use, method and reason for consuming it examined against reported instances of SCD.
“On average, respondents experienced poor mental health for 2.8 days within the last 30 days. Regarding substance use, 42.8% consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, and the majority had never smoked (60.7%).
“About 7.5% of the respondents were cannabis users. Approximately 3.2% used it for medical purposes, 2.1% used cannabis for non-medical reasons, and around 2.2% for both medical and non-medical reasons. The data include five methods of cannabis use, with smoking being the most common at 5.4%. The other four methods were less frequent for eating (1.2%), drinking (0.2%), vaporizing (0.3%), and dabbing (0.3%). The weighted average of cannabis use in the past 30 days was about 1.4 days”, the authors Zhi Cheng and Roger Wong wrote.
The results of the study showed a 96% lower chance of experiencing SCD in those who used cannabis recreationally when compared to those who did not use cannabis at all.
“This study revealed that non-medical cannabis use is associated with reduced odds of SCD. Although increased frequency and different methods of cannabis use showed positive associations with SCD, these relationships were not statistically significant. Prior research on the link between cannabis use and SCD has produced mixed results. Our findings underscore the importance of considering multiple factors, such as reasons for cannabis use, when examining the relationship between cannabis and SCD.” the study concluded.
The researchers acknowledged the limitations of the study while adding that additional research must be conducted to produce firmer results.
“Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms contributing to these associations,” the authors wrote.
