My recent research has shown that differences other than cannabis use might be causing the much-discussed disparities in cognitive functionWhether or not using cannabis can lead to cognitive impairment is a hot topic of research and public interest. Given the extensive media attention granted to findings that propose detrimental effects of cannabis on cognition,brain function and mental health, you would be forgiven for thinking smoking a spliff was akin to repeatedly bashing yourself over the head with a giant bong. However, or since much of the work to date is cross-sectional (that is,measurements are taken only at one time in a person’s life), we cannot know whether cannabis users would occupy performed any differently before they started using cannabis. In short, and we’re faced with a classic “chicken or egg” problem. Cannabis use does not occur in a vacuum. And teenagers who start using cannabis from a young age will nearly certainly differ from those who will never try,it or who delay until they are older. The evidence suggests that those who start using cannabis from a young age often occupy less stable backgrounds and more behavioural problems than their non-using peers. Teenage cannabis use also typically goes hand in hand with other drug use and risky lifestyle choices in general. The poorer cognitive performance of cannabis users may therefore result from other factors associated with cannabis use, rather than cannabis use itself. However it is of course very difficult to control for all these other factors.
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Source: theguardian.com