Heavy cannabis use, dependence and the brain: a clinical perspective

Abstract Aims: To summarize and evaluate our knowledge of the relationship between heavy cannabis use, cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the brain. Methods: Narrative review of relevant literature identified through existing systematic reviews, meta‐analyses and a PubMed search. Epidemiology, clinical representations, potential causal mechanisms, assessments, treatment and prognosis are discussed. Results: Although causality is unclear, heavy and dependent cannabis use is consistently associated with a high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and learning and memory impairments that seem to recover