The Effect of Frequent Cannabis Use on the Main Components of Executive Functioning

The legalization of recreational cannabis use in Canada has raised many questions regarding its immediate and sustained effect on performance of various critical daily tasks (e.g., driving). To investigate the sustained effect, we created an online battery of tasks that assess the main components of executive functioning that are involved in all aspects of daily activities. The performance of healthy, young frequent cannabis users, infrequent users, and non-users was compared. Selective visual attention, response inhibition, visuospatial working memory, and cognitive flexibility and set shifting ability was analyzed. No meaningful differences in performance were found on any of the measures of executive functioning components between frequent users, infrequent users, and non-users. Additionally, secondary analyses in frequent users on the effect of sex, last occasion of cannabis use, age of cannabis-use onset, length of cannabis use (years), and reason for cannabis use (medical or recreational) on executive functioning performance are also reported.