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THC Intoxication Broadly Disrupts Memory, Heightens False Recall, Study Finds

A randomized, double-blind trial in 120 regular users found significant deficits across most memory measures with similar effects at 20 mg versus 40 mg.

Overview

  • Participants who vaporized THC performed worse than placebo on 15 of 21 memory tests spanning verbal, visuospatial, prospective, source, false, and temporal order memory.
  • The most pronounced effects involved false memories and source confusion, with users more likely to recall words never presented and misattribute where information originated.
  • Prospective memory declined during intoxication, indicating reduced ability to remember intended future actions such as taking medication or attending appointments.
  • Episodic content memory did not show a significant effect in this experiment, and the authors advise further study to clarify this outcome.
  • The peer-reviewed research from Washington State University was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology (DOI: 10.1177/02698811261416079).