Relationship Between fMRI Response During a Nonverbal Memory Task and Marijuana Use in College Students

Abstract Marijuana (MJ) is widely used among college students, with peak use between ages 18–22. Research suggests memory dysfunction in adolescent and young adult MJ users, but the neural correlates are unclear. We examined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) response during a memory task among college students with varying degrees of MJ involvement. Participants were 64 college students, ages 18–20, who performed a visual encoding and recognition task during fMRI. MJ use was ascertained for 3 months prior to scanning;