ABSTRACT
Cannabis exerts its most prominent effects on the central nervous system (CNS), whether smoked or ingested, through a specific cannabinoid receptor system.8,25,34,59 It is primarily for its mind-altering or psychoactive properties that it is used recreationall y in many parts of the world. Human studies of the acute effects of cannabis suggest that the cannabinoid receptor system may be involved in regulating mood, emotion, attention, memory, and many other cognitive functions (see Chapter 22). What is not yet certain is the extent to which any of these functions, and indeed the endogenous cannabinoid system and receptor itself, are affected by the prolonged use of exogenous cannabinoids. The evidence to date from both human and animal research suggests that cannabis does not cause gross impairment in the long term, but that there are alterations in their function. This review will briefly present the evidence for long-term effects of cannabis on the CNS and its functions, with focus on recent studies pertinent to the human notions of psyche and cognition (for details and specific citations, see the work of Solowij,52 as well as that of Adams and Martin,l and Childers and Breivogel6).
