A study analyzing data from over 25,000 adults finds that cannabis use in older individuals may be associated with cognitive benefits and brain network activity resembling that of younger people.
Conducted using data from the UK Biobank and published on Research Square, the study explored how cannabis consumption intersects with age-related brain changes. Researchers examined brain functional network connectivity (FNC), focusing on how cannabis use and aging influence brain communication patterns.
The results showed overlapping—but inversely correlated—brain network activity between cannabis use and healthy aging, particularly in the connections between subcortical and sensorimotor areas, as well as between subcortical and cerebellar regions. Notably, cannabis users displayed stronger performance in several cognitive domains.
The researchers found that brain imaging data from cannabis users exhibited characteristics typically seen in younger brains. These findings support the idea that cannabinoids and the body’s endocannabinoid system may play a role in mitigating age-related cognitive decline, potentially through mechanisms described by neural dedifferentiation and compensation theories.
Although the study does not establish causality, it contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting cannabis could have neuroprotective properties in aging populations.
“The results suggest that cannabis users display brain network characteristics typically associated with younger brains, along with enhanced cognitive abilities, highlighting a potential modulatory role for cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in neurodegenerative processes, as explained through neural dedifferentiation and compensation theories”, concludes the study.
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