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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Cannabis and the brain
1Mills Street Clinical Research Unit, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Objective:
The aim of the paper is to review the effects of Cannabis sativa on the human brain.
Method:
A selective literature review was undertaken.
Results/Conclusions:
Cannabis sativa causes an acute and, with regular heavy ingestion, a subacute encephalopathy. There is no evidence of irreversible cerebral damage resulting from its use, although impairment of information processing might be a long-term consequence of heavy prolonged use. The precise relationship of cannabis to the functional psychoses such as schizophrenia has yet to be clarified.
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