Abstract. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of different frequencies of cannabis use on executive functions related to information inhibition, task switching, and updating. The study sought to determine whether there were quantitative differences in cognitive performance among participants from different groups – cannabis dependent, frequent cannabis users (not meeting the criteria for dependence), and a control group of non-cannabis users. Additionally, the executive deficits between cannabis-dependent individuals and frequent cannabis users were compared. The methods used in the study included the administration of the CUDIT-R screening questionnaire and computerized versions of cognitive tasks, such as the Stroop Task, Trail Making Test A and B, and Keep Track Task. The results were analyzed using SPSS v29 through descriptive analysis, one-way ANOVA, and repeated measures ANOVA. The data showed statistically significantly (p < .001) poorer performance of cognitive tasks in the two experimental groups as compared to the control group. The cannabis-dependent group demonstrated statistically significantly (p < .001) worse results compared to the frequent cannabis users’ group. The findings from the conducted study suggest that the adverse effects of cannabis on executive functions vary depending on the frequency of use, with regular use leading to greater cognitive deficits.

Key words: dependence, cannabis, executive functions, inhibition, shifting, updating

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