CHRONIC AND ACUTE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON COGNITION AND SYMPTOMS OF ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
Creators: name: Stueber, Amanda Marie Elizabeth
Publisher: name: Washington State University
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: ADHD
subject: Cannabis
subject: Cognition
subject: Health sciences
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: This study delves into the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic and acute cannabis use by investigating their impacts on ADHD symptoms and cognition. Previous research has established higher rates of cannabis use among individuals with ADHD, yet documented effects of cannabis use on this population remain elusive. The study fills this gap by examining the influence of chronic and acute cannabis use on ADHD symptoms and cognitive functioning. A sample of 104 adults (mean age = 26.69) was recruited, with 26 cannabis users with a diagnosis of ADHD, 26 non-users with a diagnosis of ADHD, 26 cannabis users without an ADHD diagnosis, and 26 non-users without an ADHD diagnosis. Data were collected remotely during two separate two-hour Zoom sessions. To assess the chronic effects of cannabis use on ADHD symptoms and cognition, for session one, all participants remained sobered while they completed a battery of cognitive tests and provided repeated ratings of their ADHD symptoms and affect. To assess the effects of acute cannabis intoxication on ADHD symptoms and cognition, in session two, non-users remained sober, while cannabis users were asked to be observed using their own cannabis product (flower or concentrate) prior to completing the same battery of cognitive tests and ratings of their ADHD symptoms and affect. Results from session one suggests that individuals with ADHD experience elevated levels of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, stress, and anxiety compared to those without ADHD. There were no main effects of chronic cannabis use on these symptom ratings. However, there were significant interactions between cannabis use status and ADHD status on ratings of inattention and hyperactivity. Decomposition of these interactions indicates that chronic cannabis users with ADHD reported significantly lower levels of inattention than non-users with ADHD. Further, there was no significant differences in the hyperactivity ratings of cannabis users with ADHD and cannabis users without ADHD. However, this appeared to be due to an increase in hyperactivity ratings in cannabis users without ADHD rather than due to reductions in hyperactivity in cannabis users with ADHD. Chronic cannabis use was also found to influence executive functioning and memory, with chronic cannabis users demonstrating slower reaction time on the Cued Go/No-Go task and poorer recall on the immediate recall trials of a verbal memory test compared to non-users. The results from session two indicate that acute cannabis use enhanced mood and reduced hyperactivity, anxiety, stress, and irritability in cannabis users who were intoxicated relative to non-users who remained sober. Moreover, there were significant interactions between cannabis intoxication and ADHD status on changes in ratings of impulsivity, irritability, mood, and anxiety. Decomposition of these interactions revealed that cannabis intoxication significantly reduced ratings of impulsivity and irritability in people with ADHD, but not in people without ADHD. Similarly, mood was enhanced, and anxiety was reduced by cannabis intoxication in people with ADHD as well as in people without ADHD; however, the effects were larger in the people with ADHD. Finally, there were significant main effects of cannabis use on changes in cognitive test scores but there were no significant interactions between ADHD status and cannabis use on cognitive test performance, suggesting that although acute cannabis use does not exacerbate cognitive impairments associated with ADHD, it independently impairs aspects of cognition such as inhibitory control, processing speed, and verbal memory in both people with and without ADHD. Overall, the study sheds light on the intricate relationships between ADHD and cannabis use, suggesting that while cannabis intoxication is perceived to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve affect, there are no objective benefits of cannabis use on cognition. Rather, there are detrimental chronic and acute effects of cannabis on cognition. These findings underscore the need for cautious consideration when addressing cannabis use among individuals with ADHD.