Cannabis use could potentially reverse aspects of cognitive ageing by influencing brain connectivity patterns typically associated with younger brains, according to new research.
A large-scale study using data from the UK Biobank has found that cannabis users demonstrate brain network configurations that appear to counteract age-related changes, alongside superior performance in multiple cognitive domains.
The preprint, published in Research Square, examined the relationships between cannabis use, normal ageing, and cognitive function by analysing brain functional network connectivity (FNC).
“Our findings reveal that cannabis usage and healthy ageing are associated with overlapping brain network configurations, particularly within the functional network connectivity between subcortical and sensorimotor regions, as well as between subcortical and cerebellar areas, albeit with significantly reversed effects,” the researchers wrote.
The study comes amid growing cannabis consumption among older adults, driven by increasingly permissive societal attitudes, legalisation in many regions, and recognition of its therapeutic potential. Cognitive ageing, a major concern for this demographic, shares several neural correlates with cannabis use, though the precise impact has remained poorly understood until now.
Notably, the research team found that cannabis users exhibited superior performance across multiple cognitive tests compared to non-users. The effects of cannabis use and improved cognition appeared concurrently across various brain systems.
The scientists behind the paper work at multiple institutions across the world and suggest their findings provide valuable insights into how cannabis might influence brain ageing and cognitive performance.
“The results suggest that cannabis users display brain network characteristics typically associated with younger brains, along with enhanced cognitive abilities, highlighting a potential modulatory role for cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in neurodegenerative processes,” the researchers said.
Previous studies have produced similar results. In 2024, researchers found that giving mice long-term, low doses of THC reduced the effects of ageing on the brain.
The study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, has already garnered significant attention, with over 800 views of the preprint since its publication.
