Does Cannabis Affect Memory?

The benefits of cannabis on the human body have been a common theme for most research studies in the past decade. Individual and funded studies are still undergoing in this area. Although different areas of study are focused on different types of benefits, one thing has been proven scientifically, and that is the fact that cannabis does contain several therapeutic remedies for mental and physical illnesses.

This particular article is dedicated to memory, and how cannabis affects it. We will discuss the effects of cannabis on both short and long-term memory in light of different researches.

Memory Fades Naturally

As we move into our forties and fifties, studies show that our brain and overall body function start to diminish. We are no longer in our prime physical or mental shape (there are some exceptions, of course!). Unfortunately, for some people, these effects of aging start appearing far sooner than expected. They start witnessing extremely mild but evident events of forgetfulness, but since this is often minor and quite rare, we don’t usually pay much heed to it.

Understanding Working Memory

The concept of RAM in computers is somewhat the same as your working memory, which stores information in the background as we switch between tasks. In other words, our working memory contains memory that may be retrieved anytime soon.

Some studies have found that a common person’s working memory may hold up to five things at a time. For instance, if two or three people dictate their phone numbers to you, you will only be able to remember one entirely, that too, barely. However, working memory is mostly related to things happening in the present, an email you have to send, a cab you have to order, a meeting you have to attend, and an edit you need to make at the end of your presentation, etc.

Short-Term vs. Working Memory

People often confuse short-term memory with working memory. We’ve already described what working memory is. On the other hand, short-term memory is the part of the memory system that is much larger than the working memory, enabling it to store more information to be extracted.

Here’s a fun fact: many neuroscientists disagree that working and short-term memory are distinctive systems. They believe that both are the same.

Does Cannabis Affect Memory?

You may be surprised to hear that studies have found the short-term memory of lifetime cannabis users to decline slightly as compared to people who don’t use it or are rare users. On the brighter side, these effects are still being studied and aren’t absolute right now. 

The brain transfers any repetitive information from the short-term to the long-term memory so it can extract it in the longer run whenever required (your memories about your last vacation are a perfect example of this).

In simpler words, any information that is replated in the brain is deemed important by the brain and is transferred into long-term memory. All of this happens when you are deep into your sleep (Rapid Eye Movement or REM phase). The hippocampus in your brain is an area that decompresses the memories in order for your brain to store more memories.

Since the hippocampus is the part of the brain that moves memories into the long-term memory, any damage to it rids the person of the ability to make long-term memories.

This is where cannabis, or CBD in particular, plays its role. Cannabidiol allows the body’s blood flow to improve, which means that the blood flows more seamlessly into the hippocampus, which may help this part of the brain to form new neurons.

In addition to that, different cannabinoids also contribute to the removal of neural plaque, which benefits Alzheimer’s patients.

What Do Experts Believe?

There are a lot of uncertainties in this area of study since there is still a lot more to learn. However, depending on the current cannabis studies and the data at hand, experts believe that the impact of cannabis on memory is mostly positive in older patients.

In other words, if you are older and consume cannabis, it may assist you in improving your memory response. However, the same cannot be said with surety for younger individuals. However, in the case of older people, memory may only improve if cannabis is consumed in moderation. Excessive consumption may either not affect the memory or have negative effects on it.

Memory in Alzheimer’s Patients

The thing that is keeping expert budtenders hopeful is that current information about cannabis’s relation with memory tells us that it may help in the improvement of memory of Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers have found that the consumption of cannabis may slow or prevent the advancement of neurodegenerative diseases (Huntington Chorea, Epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s).

In a nutshell, cannabis may aid memory in people who are of 50 years of age or older.

The Current Barrier in Research

Although cannabis has made it to the legal grounds in most states it is still illegal in the eyes of federal law. This bars the industry from several benefits like paperless transactions, involvement of financial institutions, loans for cannabis dispensaries, and most importantly, it bars researchers from government-funded studies.

On the brighter side, there have been initiatives like the MORE Act 2021 that may lead to the legalization of cannabis on a federal scale. If this happens, it will open several new avenues for the multi-billion-dollar industry.

Best Dispensary Near Me

Now you can buy your favorite cannabis products and strains online at the best Las Vegas dispensary – Medizin.

Medizin is an award-winning Vegas dispensary that offers a wide range of premium cannabis strains and products in-store and online. Place your order now for delivery or curbside pickup!

You can also visit our Las Vegas dispensary to meet our knowledgeable budtenders, who can help you navigate all your cannabis needs. Our store is operational between 8:00am to 12:00pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and between 8:00am to 3:00am from Thursday to Saturday.