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Harrison G. Pope, Jr, MD

JAMA. 2002;287:1172-1174.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In this issue of THE JOURNAL, Solowij and colleagues¹ report a variety of neuropsychological deficits in long-term cannabis users who were tested a median of 17 hours after their last reported cannabis intake. Their findings of impairments in memory and attention are not surprising since several large and well-controlled studies have found similar deficits on neuropsychological tests administered to long-term cannabis users after 12 to 72 hours of abstinence.^2-5 If these deficits are brief and reversible (ie, due to a residue of cannabinoids lingering in the brain or to withdrawal effects from abruptly stopping the drug), they might not be a serious threat. However, if these deficits are prolonged or irreversible (ie, due to neurotoxicity from years of cumulative cannabis exposure), they become a matter of grave concern. The findings of Solowij and colleagues favor the latter possibility in that longer-term cannabis users in the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass.

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RELATED LETTER

Does Marijuana Use Cause Long-term Cognitive Deficits?
Erik W. Gunderson, Suzanne K. Vosburg, Carl L. Hart, Michael Watson, Julia R. Nyquist, Nadia Solowij, Thomas Babor, Robert Stephens, Roger A. Roffman, Nadia Solowij, Robert Stephens, Roger A. Roffman, Thomas Babor, and Harrison G. Pope, Jr
JAMA. 2002;287(20):2652-2654.
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Cognitive Functioning of Long-term Heavy Cannabis Users Seeking Treatment
Nadia Solowij, Robert S. Stephens, Roger A. Roffman, Thomas Babor, Ronald Kadden, Michael Miller, Kenneth Christiansen, Bonnie McRee, Janice Vendetti, and for the Marijuana Treatment Project Research Group
JAMA. 2002;287(9):1123-1131.
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