
Cannabis has complex effects on memory
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The stereotype of a stoner – someone who uses cannabis in abundance – is that they are scatter-brained and absent-minded. But how cannabis affects memory is more complex than this caricature.
For starters, memory is a complex, multidimensional process. There is long-term memory – information we retain for months or years – and short-term memory, which lasts only a few minutes. Then there’s working memory, where we hold and manipulate information in the mind. Working memory allows us to…