Cannabis and Cognitive Functioning International Research Monographs in the Addictions Series

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in the world, but the question of whether its long-term use can result in lasting and irreparable cognitive impairment remains controversial. This well-argued volume provides an extensive and comprehensive critical review of the literature relevant to cannabis and cognitive functioning, examining the evidence in the light of important recent findings in the pharmacology and neuropsychology of cannabis. Original studies conducted by the author are presented, utilizing one of the most modern and sensitive tools available to assess cognitive functioning - event-related potentials or ERPs. Her conclusion, that long-term cannabis use may produce irreversible impairment in memory, attention and the organization and integration of complex functions, will be of compelling interest to a wide range of clinicians, researchers and policy makers.

Author's acknowledgements; 1. Statement of the problem; Part I. A Review of the Literature: 2. Cannabis the drug; 3. Acute effects of cannabis on cognitive functioning; 4. Evidence for brain damage associated with the long-term use of cannabis; 5. Chronic effects of cannabis on cognitive functioning; 6. Selective attention and event-related potentials (ERPs); Part II. Research: 7. An event-related potential study of attentional processes in long-term cannabis users; 8. An investigation of the effects of frequency and duration of cannabis use; 9. An investigation of the reversibility of cognitive impairment in ex-cannabis users; 10. A single case study of cessation of cannabis use; 11. Anxiety, psychopathology and the qualitative experience of long-term use of cannabis; 12. Summary, synthesis and conclusions; Appendix; References; Index.