Decades of research show cannabis affects brain structure and cognition, raising questions for medical use

Decades of research link recreational cannabis use to cognitive impairment across multiple domains, structural and functional brain differences associated with early and heavy use, and heightened risks during adolescence when brain development is ongoing. Yet some cannabinoid formulations are FDA-approved, including for pediatric applications.

Review consolidating findings on cannabis effects on brain structure, function, and cognition, with emphasis on implications for age limits and guidelines for both recreational and medical use.

The tension between recreational cannabis risks and medical cannabinoid benefits is a central policy challenge. This review explicitly addresses this paradox, arguing that understanding brain effects should inform both recreational regulation and medical prescribing.

The same endocannabinoid system that makes cannabis potentially therapeutic is also what makes it potentially harmful to the developing brain. Navigating this tension requires nuanced policy that distinguishes between controlled pharmaceutical use and uncontrolled recreational exposure.

Review-level evidence without meta-analytic pooling. Much of the underlying literature is cross-sectional and cannot establish causation. Recreational cannabis products differ substantially from pharmaceutical cannabinoids in composition and purity.