Marijuana Use Not Linked to Loss of Motivation, Study Concludes

Cannabis use by teens is not associated with an increased risk of so-called “amotivational syndrome,” according to new data published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Researchers affiliated with Florida International University (FIU) evaluated the association between marijuana use and motivation in a cohort of 401 adolescents (ages 14 to 17) over two years, NORML reported.

The researchers reported, “[D]espite significant increases in levels of cannabis use in our sample, change in cannabis use did not predict changes in motivation, which suggests that cannabis use may not lead to reductions in motivation over time.”

Authors reported that adolescents’ cannabis use was not associated with any significant changes in motivation, apathy, or engagement after investigators controlled for subjects’ use of alcohol and tobacco, among other potential confounders (such as age, sex, and depression).

The study concluded: “Our findings do not support a relationship between cannabis use and reductions in motivation over time in a sample of adolescents at risk for escalation in cannabis use.”