Cannabis use during adolescence has profound effects on critical cognitive functions, particularly sustained attention—the ability to focus on a task over time. A recent study found that problems with sustained attention in early adolescence may predict increased cannabis use later in life.

The study involved more than 1,000 participants, starting at age 14 and continuing until age 23. Researchers measured the participants' attention performance and brain connectivity throughout the study. They also monitored their substance use over time to uncover long-term patterns.

They found that poor sustained attention at age 14, in conjunction with weaker connectivity in attention-related brain networks, predicted higher cannabis use in young adulthood. Differences in these brain networks were stable over time, and the findings were consistent when tested in an external group of participants.

These findings suggest that sustained attention and its underlying brain networks serve as reliable early markers of susceptibility to cannabis use. Cannabis use may disrupt the delicate balance of brain chemicals like dopamine, a neurotransmitter critical for attention and motivation. Learn how to improve attention by leveraging the effects of dopamine in this episode featuring Dr. Andrew Huberman.