Δ 9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impairs visual working memory performance: A randomized crossover trial
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 23, 2019 Kirsten C. S. Adam, Manoj K. Doss, Elisa Pabon et al. 2 citations preprint
THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, impairs visual working memory—the ability to temporarily hold visual information in mind. Two double-blind, randomized crossover experiments with 23 healthy adults each found that oral THC (7.5 or 15 mg) reduced working memory performance, increased self-reported mind wandering, and decreased metacognitive accuracy about ongoing task performance. The authors also showed that short task durations and small sample sizes reduce the likelihood of detecting such drug effects.