12 Mar WSU Study: Avoid Cannabis When Relying on Memory is Important
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MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Cutttler, Ph.D.
Carrie Cuttler, Ph.D.
The Health & Cognition (THC) Lab
Associate Professor
Director, Experimental Psychology Doctoral Program
Co-Director, Cannabis Research Center (CRC)
Department of Psychology
Washington State University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: One of the most well-documented effects of acute cannabis intoxication is impairment in memory. However, memory is not a single process. It is a complex system made up of multiple distinct subsystems that rely on different neural mechanisms and support different types of remembering.
Most prior research examining the acute effects of cannabis in humans has focused on a relatively narrow set of memory tests—primarily verbal memory tasks, which involve recalling lists of words, and working memory tasks, which require temporarily holding and manipulating information in consciousness.
Far fewer studies have examined how cannabis affects other types of memory that are more relevant to everyday life. These include temporal order memory (remembering the order in which events occurred), prospective memory (remembering to perform tasks in the future), source memory (remembering where information came from), false memory (recalling information that was never presented), and episodic content memory (recalling personally experienced events).
To address this gap, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examining the acute effects of cannabis across multiple memory domains. In total, 120 participants were randomly assigned to vaporize either a placebo, a moderate dose of cannabis (20 mg THC), or a high dose of cannabis (40 mg THC).
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: We observed significant detrimental effects of acute cannabis intoxication on several memory domains, including verbal memory, visuospatial memory, working memory, prospective memory, source memory, false memory, and temporal order memory.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect significant impairments in prospective memory and temporal order memory following acute cannabis intoxication.
Interestingly, we did not observe meaningful differences between the moderate-dose (20 mg THC) and high-dose (40 mg THC) groups. This is likely because participants in both groups experienced substantial intoxication, suggesting that once individuals reach a certain level of intoxication, memory performance may already be significantly impaired.
MedicalResearch.com: What types of memory domains may be impacted by cannabis? Is the effect gender, dose or age-related?
Response: Cannabis intoxication affected a wide range of memory systems in our study. The largest effects were observed for false memory and source memory. For example, during the verbal memory task it was quite common for participants to confidently recall words that had never been presented.
We did not detect a significant effect on episodic content memory, which in our study involved recalling the tasks participants completed during the session. However, this is the first study to examine acute cannabis effects on this particular aspect of memory. Future research should examine autobiographical memory using more complex tasks that involve recalling real-life experiences outside of the laboratory.
Our study was not designed to test gender or age differences, and most participants were young adults, so additional research is needed to determine whether these effects vary across different populations or genders.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: The key takeaway is that acute cannabis intoxication appears to impair a broad range of memory processes, rather than selectively affecting only a few types of memory.
Importantly, this is the first study to demonstrate impairments in prospective memory, which refers to remembering to carry out actions in the future—such as attending appointments, taking medication, or paying bills on time. Because prospective memory is critical for everyday functioning, these findings have practical implications.
Overall, our results suggest that people should avoid being under the influence of cannabis when they need to rely on memory, whether that involves remembering past information or remembering to carry out future tasks.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study?
Response: The key takeaway is that acute cannabis intoxication appears to impair a broad range of memory processes, rather than selectively affecting only a few types of memory.
Importantly, this is the first study to demonstrate impairments in prospective memory, which refers to remembering to carry out actions in the future—such as attending appointments, taking medication, or paying bills on time. Because prospective memory is critical for everyday functioning, these findings have practical implications.
Overall, our results suggest that people should avoid being under the influence of cannabis when they need to rely on memory, whether that involves remembering past information or remembering to carry out future tasks.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?
Response: Participants in our study were frequent and relatively experienced cannabis users, which means they were likely somewhat tolerant to THC. Less experienced users might experience even greater memory issues during intoxication.
Additionally, most participants were young adults using cannabis recreationally, so the findings may not necessarily generalize to older adults or medical cannabis users.
Citation: Cuttler C, McLaughlin RJ. Mapping the acute effects of cannabis on multiple memory domains: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/02698811261416079
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Last Updated on March 12, 2026 by Marie Benz MD FAAD