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Cannabis Boosts Aging Brain Memory!
As cannabis use continues to rise among older adults, researchers are trying to understand how it affects cognitive function during aging. A new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology provides evidence that cannabis and its primary psychoactive ingredient, THC, may actually improve certain types of memory in aged rats — though these effects depend on sex, the method of delivery, and the specific type of cognitive task.
In particular, the researchers found that acute cannabis smoke improved working memory in aged male rats but impaired it in aged females. Chronic oral THC, on the other hand, enhanced working memory in aged rats of both sexes, without harming spatial memory or affecting younger rats.
Cannabis use is becoming increasingly common in older adults. From 2015 to 2023, the percentage of people over 65 in the United States who reported using cannabis in the past year nearly tripled. Many use it regularly, often to manage chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep problems. But while cannabis is well known to impair memory and attention in young adults, very little is known about how it affects the aging brain, which is already more vulnerable to cognitive decline.
In fact, previous studies in aged mice suggested that low doses of THC might improve cognitive function — a surprising finding that raised new questions about whether cannabis could actually help remediate age-related memory problems under some conditions.
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