Adults with ADHD who use cannabis say the substance improves symptoms, medication side effects, and executive dysfunction, according to the findings of a self-reported study.
. Most participants did not have an ADHD diagnosis, but roughly 25% of the sample met or surpassed the threshold for mildly symptomatic ADHD and reported experiencing ADHD-like symptoms.
Roughly three-quarters of participants with ADHD were also classified as cannabis users, and more than half of these participants explicitly reported that they have used cannabis to manage ADHD symptoms. In addition, about 17% reported that they had been prescribedThe study found that about 92% of participants with ADHD who have used cannabis to manage symptoms report that acute cannabis use improves their symptoms overall.
The same group also indicated that chronic cannabis use improves or has no effect on their overall ADHD symptoms; 14% said it worsens their ADHD symptoms. Among participants who were prescribed ADHD medication, most report that cannabis improves rather than worsensCannabis use frequency emerged as moderator of the associations between symptom severity and executive dysfunction.
The study also showed significant correlations between symptoms of ADHD and frequency of cannabis use, as well as symptoms of