Some determinants of psychological deficits associated with chronic cannabis consumption

Abstract

The present study was done in order to investigate the following general hypothesis: "Other conditions being equal, the lower the non-drug level of proficiency on tests of cognitive and psychomotor performance the smaller the size of function deficit associated with drug taking". Twelve objective tests generating 16 test variables were administered to 850 chronic cannabis takers and 839 comparable non-takers, all males ranging in age between 15 and 50 years and representing various positions on "literacy-illiteracy" and "urbanism-ruralism". Six specific predictions were formulated; (1) Performance on the test is expected to be correlated with the level of leteracy of the subject. (2) the lower the level of literacy the smaller the size of function deficit associated with cannabis taking. (3) Performance on the tests is expected to be correlated with the level of urbanism of the subject. (4) The lower the level of urbanism (i.e. more ruralism) the smaller the size of function deficit associated with drug taking. (5) Performance on the tests is expected to correlate inversely with age. (6) The older the subject the smaller the amount of function deficit associated with cannabis consumption. All our predictions were confirmed. The consistency of these results raises the possibility that a basic regularity governing the relationship between cannabis consumption and psychological-function deficit is being uncovered. The suggestion was made that our major hypothesis might prove valid with regard to the area of acute effects of cannabis taking as well. Our hypothesis was shown to provide a broad framework capable of integrating a number of conflicting reports both in the area of long term and that of short term cannabis use.