A recent study published in Age and Ageing indicates that older adults with a history of cannabis use demonstrate superior cognitive performance – specifically in areas like attention, executive function, processing speed, and memory – compared to those who have never used cannabis. Interestingly, the benefits were most pronounced in former users, with current users showing less consistent, though still present, cognitive advantages. Researchers suggest these findings challenge common assumptions about cognitive decline in older cannabis users and could encourage more open conversations between clinicians and patients regarding therapeutic cannabis use, while also reducing stigma. Similar longitudinal studies have also shown less cognitive decline in older adults with a history of cannabis use.
