It is widely believed that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, has an impact on the drug user's memory. However, few, if any, studies are available. An American research team tried to answer the question to learn more about the matter.
THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD affect the (human) body in different ways. For example, while CBD is often associated with health benefits, such as the ability to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, THC is best known for creating the so-called high feeling.
They say the higher the THC percentage, the more damage it can cause. The impact can vary; problems thinking, focusing, and multitasking are said to be the most common symptoms.
However, a research team had found little scientific evidence and data to support this theory.
The group therefore decided to create their own research with a greater number of subjects participating in many more memory tasks compared to previous studies.
What happened in the research on THC and performance?
The researchers conducted two double-blind, randomized experiments, each with 24 healthy adults with an average age of 23.
During the first study, the group was split in two, who were given either 15 mg THC or a placebo pill. In the second study, they created three groups: some received 7,5 mg doses of THC, some 15 mg THC and others received placebo pills.
After taking the capsules, the subjects took part in a working memory task.
Ultimately, the study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, that THC actually affects visual working memory by wandering thoughts and hindering the monitor's task performance.
The researchers found that those who received a 15 mg dose of THC performed much worse on the working memory tests and had trouble focusing on the tasks. However, people on a dose of 7,5 mg THC performed only slightly worse than people on placebo pills.
In conclusion, while of course more research is needed to bring us closer to a full understanding of the effect of THC on the (human) body, these new findings could potentially influence future experiments.
Sources including Canex (EN),PsyPost(EN)
