Caffeine and cannabis use and their effects on thinking skills in teens and young adults
Official title: The Interactive Effects of Caffeine and Cannabis Use on Neurocognitive Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11395626 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how caffeine and cannabis together affect thinking and memory in adolescents and young adults who use both substances.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $187,777 |
| NIH project number | 5K08DA062011-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395626 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adolescents and young adults who have used caffeine and/or cannabis and are willing to participate in longitudinal assessments and cognitive testing.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not use caffeine or cannabis or who are not undergoing longitudinal cognitive testing may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows teens and young adults as they grow up to understand how caffeine use, cannabis use, and their combination influence brain function over time. It uses observational methods and longitudinal tracking to map caffeine consumption, cannabis use, and cognitive trajectories, with attention to how these relationships evolve during adolescence and early adulthood. The study aims to link patterns of use with changes in cognitive performance, including memory and executive function, across years. By focusing on a human population, it seeks to inform safer use guidelines and early interventions for youth at risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help families and clinicians understand how caffeine and cannabis together may affect a young person’s thinking abilities over time.
How similar studies have gone: While animal data hint at interactive effects on cognition, this is among the first long-term human studies examining caffeine and cannabis together on neurocognition.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wallace, Alexander Laverne — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Wallace, Alexander Laverne
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.