Could smoking weed protect your aging brain? A study recently highlighted by The Washington Post suggests it might.
Led by the Salk Institute, the work focused on a cannabinoid called cannabinol, which is a byproduct of THC, the active ingredient in pot responsible for its psychoactive effects.
In experiments using human brain cell cultures and animal cells, the researchers found that cannabinol appeared to protect neurons against oxidative stress, a pernicious form of biological wear and tear that leads to cell death. Oxidative stress is considered a critical factor in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The possible upshot? Smoking more weed could lower your chances of developing dementia and similar cognitive conditions — though, to be fair, the work is far from conclusive. Still, it’s not the only study to suggest that cannabis could stem the inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s, and it continues to be a promising avenue of research.
Another study highlighted by WaPo challenged some long-held assumptions about how cannabis use in adulthood impacts the brain. Published 2024 in the journal JAMA Network Open, it found no significant link between middle-aged and older adults who recently started using cannabis for medical reasons and cognitive decline and impairment.
Carl Hart, a Columbia University psychologist, argues that the adult brain is more resilient to the downsides of recreational blazing than traditionally thought. In his own experiments, he offered adults the opportunity to take a math test that they could earn money from by scoring well. He also, in a twist, offered them the chance to toke up before starting. While most people declined, those who did partake showed minimal signs of there being an impact on the accuracy of their answers.
This, Hart interprets, shows that weed doesn’t turn you into an unmotivated bum as the cultural stigma would have you believe; even with the chance of earning more money, weed smokers were still down for the challenge and often scored well.
“Think of all the many people who take cannabis,” Hart told WaPo. “There are some people not motivated to do jack, but that isn’t because of cannabis. And there are a wide range of people who have done incredible things in the world while on cannabis. But the notion just won’t die.”
These findings aren’t meant to be permission to start burning bush as much as possible. There’s a counterbalance of research suggesting that excessive cannabis use can worsen your short-term memory — and, in teen users who smoke heavily, raise the risk of them being diagnosed with bipolar and psychotic disorders later in life.
More on weed: If You Blazed Massive Amounts of Weed as a Youth, Scientists Have Interesting News
