Effects of Cannabis on Cognition - Research Paper Example

Effects of Cannabis on Cognition Cannabis Sativa is a widely abused drug across the globe with its effects associated with reduced cognitive abilities. The substance has the ability to impair one’s memory due to the intoxicants present in the drug. The abuse of the substance also draws association to unemployment, under achievement in academics, law breaking, and high chances of developing mental detachment. Moreover, researches have shown that the drug may also heighten the chances of increasing cognitive dysfunction. Additionally, long-term use of the substance may also lead to speech impairment and word recognition deficiency. The use of the drug is common among the young and productive age bracket that tend to abuse the substance for leisure or relaxation. Ideally, the effects of the substance may be extensive as they may include loss of concentration and diminished planning abilities. The drug may also inhibit one’s ability to be an efficient driver and the effects tend to be different between genders. Objectively, the essence of this essay will be to give detailed studies that prove that cannabis use associates itself with decreased brain function through the analysis of several empirical data sources. The effects of Cannabis on young adults According to a study by Grant et al (2011), volunteers within the study exhibited no prior disorder except after indulging in the use of cannabis substance. The study sought to establish the effects of the substance among young people over a period between one week and a year. The findings established that the use of the substance immensely affected decision-making and planning abilities for this age bracket (Grant et al, 2012). This was because of the using the drug at different intervals that in turn affected the neural functioning and decision making that led to the having problems with law authorities. Overly, the use of the drug reflects on the driving abilities of adolescents that in turn attract the charge of driving under the influence of an intoxicated substance. In addition, the study also proved the substance abuse had effects on the adolescents’ school performance hence increasing the number of school dropouts because of their limited productivity in school. Sequentially, the teenagers who were under the influence of the drug also portrayed withdrawal symptoms where they could not relate properly with their peers who were not indulging in the use of the drug. In summary, the study showed that teenagers and young adults were more likely to indulge in the substance use more than any other age bracket because of their poor judgment and decision-making skills. Additionally, this age bracket is more susceptible to pressure from peers and influence on their behavior hence making them indulge in the use of the drug (Grant et al, 2012). However, the study did not conclusively ascertain the relation between the substance abuse and cognitive abilities, but showed that the drug may have effects on the teen’s relation with their peers and their performance in school. The relationship between change in cannabis use and cognitive performance within eight years The study was in Australia in which young adults between the ages of twenty to twenty four among two thousand four hundred and four participants sought to ascertain the effects of the substance over prolonged periods. In essence, the participants who had used the drug heavily exhibited withdrawal signs after reduced uptake. Those teenagers who used the substance exhibited low brain processing speed and delayed memory capacity. In addition, former users of the drug between times of three months had similar traits as those who had never used the drug in prior years. In excess, their IQ capacity was also relative stable unlike for those who had abused the drug in prior years. There was a slight improvement in cognition after the reduced use of the drug because stoppage influenced brain control and reduced damage (Tait, Mackinnon & Christensen, 2011). This was an indication that the effects of the substance could be reversible depending on time to which the individual had used the drug. In comparison, the study showed that adults who remained in the use of the drug and those that had stopped use of the drug had different implications in terms of intoxication levels brought by the drug. However, there was an effect in logic representation among these adults making it hard for them to make follow up on logic and sequence. On the other hand, the study established the onset of the use of the drug varied in its impact on the user. For instance, the visual and attention abilities among those that experienced early onset of the drug and later onsets were relatively different. This was because of the maturation aspects that exist in the brain of the older adults than that in the teenagers. Primarily, cannabis use has widely been though t as the cause for psychosis and for the decrease in cognitive function among abusers (Tait, Mackinnon & Christensen, 2011). Ideally, reduced use of the drug among the subjects proved fruitful as their learning scores improved tremendously from the time that they stopped using the drug. Sequentially, chances of improvement in cognitive function were likely to go high among the young than in the elderly adults. Behavioral effect on motor vehicles According to various studies, cannabis use impairs one’s ability to properly execute driving tasks. The study sought to establish how the chronic abuse of the substance affects brain function on the motor skills in both men and women. Ideally, immense use of the substance limits motor performance especially among men with greater effects on their visuals. The deficit may also be in the cognitive lines of brain function. Essentially, cannabis has an effect on the skills appropriate for effective driving of vehicles (King et al, 2011). On the other hand, the effects of the use of the drug tend to affect the praxic control more in women than in men. For instance, the praxic control of motor functions is the application of limbs without engaging visual guidance. This is to mean that men are able to drive without necessarily having to look where they are trying to move the motor vehicle. Sequentially, women implement praxic control while driving more than men do. The implications of the cannabis use have practical disadvantages on the users because they limit ones capability in driving competency. Ideally, males are the most users of cannabis as compared to females because the effects on both genders tend to vary. In essence, women tend to develop depression and intense anxiety than the males who use the substance. Surprisingly, this effect may apply to some men due to the coupling of the substance with other intoxicating substances (King et al, 2011). Chronic use of the substance may also have an effect on one’s driving speed and in the processing of visual motor performances. The survey was among sixty males and females divided into two categories. One comprised of those who used the drugs while the other included men and women who did not use the substance. Objectively, the study sought to prove that the driving abilities between the two groups were relatively different. The measuring of the effects was from other days except on the day of conducting the test. The subjects exhibited high cravings for the substance especially on the day of testing hence making them anxious and not relaxed. Moreover, the subjects who had exposure to the drug made poor performance in control abilities of motor functions than those who had no indication of having any contact with the drug. Additionally, men performed poorly in the peg tasks on the board as compared to women (King et al, 2011). Subsequently, the users of the substance had higher levels of salivary cortisol than the sober subjects. As per the findings, women had more cravings for the substance as compared to men that were not relational to saliva cortisol. In addition, men’s reduction on brain activation was on the left side while for women was on the right due to use of the drug. This is to mean that the visual effect and the Gyrus Fisiform (King et al, 2011). However, female users of the substance were less likely to activate brain functions as compared to females who had sober brain control. Synthesis Objectively, the studies exhibited differences and similarities in their findings. For one, all the studies revealed that Cannabis affected the visual aspects of an individual as a result of continued use of the substance. Secondly, the studies proved that the substance use irrespective of the time in which one had used the drug did not matter as the effect was equally the same on cognition and normal brain operation. Moreover, the substance affected the driving abilities of women and young adults more as it did on men (King et al, 2011). For instance, brain function in individuals who had used the substance for a period of over one year reduced at almost the same rate as that of an individual who had started using the substance recently (Tait, Mackinnon & Christensen, 2011). On the contrary, the effects of the drug on cognition also varied in all the studies due to gender, age, and dependence on the substance. In essence, one study showed that women were more likely to develop an addiction to the substance as compared to their male counterparts. In addition, the drug made women lose their ability to drive competently than men as men still maintained their driving abilities without having to pay much attention. Additionally, another study showed that teens that used the drug had higher chances of discontinuing their studies due to the drugs effect on reducing concentration levels. Lastly, Grant et al (2011) found that teenagers were more likely to develop withdrawal behavior because of the use of the drug because of their minimal level of maturity. Conclusion The use of cannabis as a substance among the different ages and genders has gained considerable popularity over the years. Ideally, the effects of this substance tend to be more on the cognitive aspects rather than on their health. For instance, the drug has effects on one’s ability to be a competent driver on the road because of its effect on the brain. Moreover, the use of the substance also affects the decision-making abilities on individual hence making them have impaired judgment. Finally, the use of the drug also affects the driving abilities of women more than in men because men do not rely more on their sought to drive motors. Therefore, communication on the continued use of this substance needs emphasizing especially to young adults as it also tends to affect concentration in class translating to poor academic performance and dropping out of school. References Grant, E. J., Chamberlin, S. R., Schreiber L., Odlaug, B. L. 2011. Neuropsychological deficits associated with cannabis use in young adults. Drugs and alcohol Dyependence Journal. 121, 159-162 King, R. G., Ernst, t., Deng, W. Stenger, A., Gonzales, R. M. K., Nakama, H., Chang, L. 2011. Altered Brain Activation During Visuormotor Intergration in Chronic Active Cannabis Users: Relationship to Cortisol Levels. Journal of NeuroScience 31, 17923-17931 Tait, R. J., Mackinnon, A., Christensen, H. 2011.Cannabis use and cognitive function: 8 year trajectory in a young adult cohort. Addiction research report. Read More