--- title: "Research Suggests the Older You Get, the More Weed You Should Smoke" description: "Research suggests that cannabis helps protect the aging brain against biological wear and tear and neurodegenerative diseases." date: "2026-06-21" modified: "2026-06-21" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/research-smoke-weed-older" categories: - "Brain" - "Health & Medicine" - "Mental Health" --- # Research Suggests the Older You Get, the More Weed You Should Smoke ![Color-treated photograph of an older man with a marijuana joint in his mouth and a lighter.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* Could [smoking weed]() protect your aging brain? A study recently [highlighted by *The Washington Post*]() suggests it might. Led by the Salk Institute, the [work focused on a cannabinoid called cannabinol](), which is a byproduct of THC, the active ingredient in pot responsible for its psychoactive effects. In experiments using human brain cell cultures and animal cells, the researchers found that cannabinol appeared to protect neurons against oxidative stress, a pernicious form of biological wear and tear that leads to cell death. Oxidative stress is considered a critical factor in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The *possible* upshot? Smoking more weed could lower your chances of developing dementia and similar cognitive conditions — though, to be fair, the work is far from conclusive. Still, it's not the only study to suggest that cannabis could stem the inflammation associated with Alzheimer's, and it continues to be a promising avenue of research. Another [study]() highlighted by *WaPo* challenged some long-held assumptions about how cannabis use in adulthood impacts the brain. Published 2024 in the journal *JAMA Network Open,* it found no significant link between middle-aged and older adults who recently started using cannabis for medical reasons and cognitive decline and impairment. Carl Hart, a Columbia University psychologist, argues that the adult brain is more resilient to the downsides of recreational blazing than traditionally thought. In his own experiments, he offered adults the opportunity to take a math test that they could earn money from by scoring well. He also, in a twist, offered them the chance to toke up before starting. While most people declined, those who did partake showed minimal signs of there being an impact on the accuracy of their answers. This, Hart interprets, shows that weed doesn't turn you into an unmotivated bum as the cultural stigma would have you believe; even with the chance of earning more money, weed smokers were still down for the challenge and often scored well. "Think of all the many people who take cannabis," Hart told *WaPo*. "There are some people not motivated to do jack, but that isn't because of cannabis. And there are a wide range of people who have done incredible things in the world while on cannabis. But the notion just won't die." These findings aren't meant to be permission to start burning bush as much as possible. There's a counterbalance of research suggesting that excessive cannabis use [can worsen your short-term memory]() — and, in teen users who smoke heavily, [raise the risk of them being diagnosed with bipolar and psychotic disorders]() later in life. **More on weed:** [*If You Blazed Massive Amounts of Weed as a Youth, Scientists Have Interesting News*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()