For years, the conversation around cannabis and the brain has largely centered on youth and development. Most of us have heard about the potential risks of using cannabis during adolescence, when the brain is still growing. But as cannabis use continues to grow, especially among older adults, researchers are beginning to ask a different question: what does cannabis mean for the aging brain? In 2023, 7% of U.S. adults 65 and older reported using cannabis in the past month, a nearly 46% increase from 2021, according to researchers at NYU. As more older adults incorporate cannabis into their wellness routines, understanding how it may relate to healthy aging has become more important than ever.
A December 2025 study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, one of the largest studies of its kind, found some intriguing results.
- People who used cannabis at some point in their lives generally had larger brain volume in several regions involved in memory, learning, emotion and movement compared to people who had never used cannabis.
- They also tended to do better on some cognitive tests, particularly those measuring learning, short-term memory, and processing speed.
- Even people who only reported using cannabis when they were younger and stopped later in life showed similar patterns.
One Of The Largest Studies Of Its Kind
For decades, cannabis research has faced an uphill battle. Because of federal scheduling restrictions, researchers have often had limited access to cannabis for study, smaller participant pools and fewer funding opportunities than many other areas of medicine.
This study used data from the UK Biobank, one of the world’s largest long-term health studies. It includes medical records, cognitive testing and brain imaging from more than 500,000 adults (40-70 years old), giving researchers a much stronger dataset than cannabis studies have traditionally had.
Why Brain Volume Matters
Like the rest of the body, the brain naturally changes with age. Over time, it gradually loses volume as brain cells and the connections between them decline. Those changes are often associated with memory, learning and overall cognitive function.
That’s why researchers pay close attention to brain volume. According to Charles DeCarli, director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, having greater brain volume may contribute to what’s known as brain reserve. In simple terms, it means the brain may have more resilience against age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Brain volume is only one measure of brain health, but it’s an important one. Researchers also point out that brain size has steadily increased in people born after the 1930s, likely due to improvements in nutrition, education, healthcare and overall quality of life.
Importance of the Endocannabinoid System
One reason scientists are so interested in cannabis and healthy aging is because of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), one of the body’s most important communication networks.
The ECS helps regulate mood, sleep, memory, appetite, immune function and inflammation to keep the body in balance. Cannabis contains compounds called cannabinoids that interact with this system, which is why researchers believe cannabis may influence so many different functions throughout the body. Exactly how those interactions affect the aging brain is still being studied, but it’s one of the most promising areas of cannabis research today.
There’s still a lot we don’t know, but that’s beginning to change. With the move to reclassify medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, many researchers hope those barriers will continue to ease, making it easier to secure funding, conduct clinical trials and answer some of the biggest questions surrounding cannabis and long-term health.
We’ll keep sharing what we learn. Stay tuned.
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