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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Mechanisms underlying the link between cannabis use and prospective memory.
Carrie Cuttler1, Ryan J McLaughlin, Peter Graf
1Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. cuttler@mail.ubc.ca
Plos One
|May 19, 2012
Summary
Cannabis use may modestly impact self-reported prospective memory, but this effect appears primarily linked to retrospective memory issues, not objective memory deficits. Alcohol and other drug use also play a role.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Extensive research exists on cannabis and retrospective memory.
- Limited studies have explored the relationship between cannabis use and prospective memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the links between cannabis use and time-based and event-based prospective memory.
- To identify potential underlying mechanisms for these associations.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Online survey of 805 students assessing cannabis use, problems, and prospective memory failures.
- Study 2: Comparison of non-users, experimenters, and chronic cannabis users (48 each) using objective and self-report prospective memory tests.
Main Results:
- Study 1 found correlations between cannabis use problems and prospective memory, mediated by retrospective memory issues.
- Study 2 showed no objective prospective memory deficits in chronic users, but they reported more memory failures, linked to retrospective memory and other substance use.
Conclusions:
- Cannabis use has a modest effect on self-reported prospective memory problems.
- Retrospective memory difficulties appear to be a primary factor underlying the observed prospective memory issues in cannabis users.
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