How can CBD help improve memory and concentration?

20. 03. 2025

• Problems with memory and concentration
• Short-term memory disorders
• Long-term memory disorders
• Memory loss
• What is CBD?
• How can CBD improve memory and concentration?
• CBD products for memory and concentration
• Conclusion

Problems with memory and concentration

What is the difference between short-term and long-term memory? Short-term memory typically stores information for only a few seconds to minutes, and is limited to a few items. It is used for immediate use, an example being remembering a phone number before you dial it.

Long-term memory stores information for extended periods of time, from hours to a lifetime, and has virtually unlimited capacity. It contains permanent information such as knowledge, skills and personal experiences. Information can be transferred from short-term to long-term memory through repetition and associative learning.

Impairments in short- and long-term memory and concentration can significantly affect daily life and may be a sign of more serious health complications. Although there are a number of products available on the market to improve memory and concentration, sufferers should not underestimate the importance of a thorough diagnosis so that a doctor can determine the appropriate treatment.

Short-term memory disorders

Short-term memory impairment is a condition in which a person has difficulty remembering new information or events that happened recently. This may include difficulty remembering names, phone numbers, or recent events and conversations.

 

There are many causes of short-term memory disorders. These include:

• Stress and anxiety: intense stress and anxiety can temporarily affect the ability to remember and concentrate.
• Attention deficit disorder: the ability to maintain attention and focus is crucial for the proper processing and storage of information in memory. Attention disorders can therefore be a cause of impaired memory.
• Alcohol and other drugs: excessive use of alcohol or drugs can impair short-term memory.
• Brain injury: Physical injuries and strokes can damage brain tissue and affect memory.
• Psychological and psychiatric disorders: for example, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, and others.
• Epilepsy: Short-term memory loss may occur during seizures.

Understanding the causes and recognising the symptoms is key to finding appropriate treatment and improving quality of life. Short-term memory disorders are manifested by:

• Inability to remember recent events or information
• Difficulty concentrating
• By repeatedly forgetting in a short time

 

Long-term memory disorders

Long-term memory disorders cause problems with recalling the past and the ability to learn new things.

Unlike short-term memory, long-term memory disorders are usually rooted in more serious illnesses. Causes include:

• Brain injury: Physical injuries and strokes can damage brain tissue and affect memory.
• Psychological and psychiatric disorders: for example, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, and others.
• Neurodegenerative diseases and diseases of neurological type: The most common are Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.
• Ageing: Ageing can lead to a gradual deterioration of long-term memory.

Symptoms include:

• Forgetting more information
• Difficulty recalling past events
• Changes in understanding of spatial and temporal contexts
• Impaired ability to learn new information

Memory loss

Memory loss can affect both short-term and long-term memory. It is manifested by forgetting past events (retrograde amnesia) or difficulty retaining new information (anterograde amnesia). It can be temporary or permanent.

Sudden memory loss can be caused by acute stress, alcohol or other drugs, head injury, stroke or epileptic seizure. Treatment for sudden memory loss depends on the cause. A medical examination is needed to determine the correct treatment.

What is CBD?

CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. It is non-psychoactive and studies to date suggest that it could have a number of therapeutic effects and thus become an aid in the treatment of many mental and physical illnesses, such as psychological and psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative and some other neurological diseases, skin diseases, arthritis, intestinal diseases, diabetes and cancer.

The effect of CBD on memory and concentration

CBD interacts with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, a complex system of cell signaling that affects a variety of processes in the body, such as stress response, pain perception, mood, sleep, hunger, and more. Cannabidiol could thus be of great importance in the prevention and treatment of psychological and psychiatric illnesses that are often behind memory and concentration problems.

A study looking at the potential of cannabidiol in the treatment of anxiety disorders found that orally administered CBD at doses of 300-600 mg helped reduce experimentally induced anxiety in both healthy people and individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder. It also suggests that CBD could help with fear processing and influence the part of the brain that controls emotions. Anxiety in particular is one of the causes of concentration memory disorders and treating it may be a solution for memory and concentration problems as well.

 

Another study reports that CBD has the potential to promote neurogenesis, the formation of new neurons in the brain, which may also lead to improved cognitive function. A 2020 study showed that CBD increases blood flow in areas of the brain associated with memory functions, such as the hippocampus, and may thus affect memory functioning. This could also be significant for the treatment of a number of disorders associated with hippocampal dysfunction, including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder.

CBD products for memory and concentration

There are three main types of CBD products on the market:

• Full spectrum: Contains all compounds from cannabis including THC (usually up to 0.2-0.3%, in the Czech Republic up to 1% THC).
• Broad spectrum: Contains identical cannabinoids and terpenes in addition to CBD, but is completely free of THC.
• CBD isolate: pure CBD without other compounds.

For more potent effects, full-spectrum or broad-spectrum products might be preferable, due to the assumed companion effect where all the substances in the extract enhance each other's effectiveness.

CBD for memory and concentration can be taken in various forms. These include:

• Oils and drops: a popular form, CBD oils and drops are often taken sublingually (under the tongue) for quick absorption or added to food or drink. There is no one best CBD oil for memory and concentration, with the choice always depending on specific needs and personal preferences.
• Capsules and tablets: convenient form for precise dosing.
• Edibles: gummies, candies, chocolates, drinks and other foods containing CBD.
• Vapes: CBD can be inhaled using vaporizers, allowing for rapid absorption into the bloodstream.
• Patch: a form of application that allows the slow and steady release of cannabidiol through the skin into the bloodstream. We offer Hemnia patches that are designed not only to aid concentration, but also to help with a variety of other issues such as sleep or immunity.

 

For people who suffer from memory and concentration problems, sublingual or oral use, such as CBD oils and drops, capsules and tablets, or edibles, may be the best option because of:

• Action on the whole body: when taken internally, CBD is absorbed by the digestive system and then distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream.
• Long-term effect: Internally administered CBD provides a longer lasting effect compared to inhaled methods. It is absorbed more slowly and blood levels are stable, which can be advantageous for continuous memory and concentration support.
• Simplicity and accuracy of dosing: sublingual and oral use allows for easy and accurate dosing, which is important for effective action with minimal risk of side effects.
• Convenience: CBD products for consumption are convenient and discreet. They can easily be added to a regular diet, making regular use easy.
• Combination options with other substances: CBD oils and drops or capsules can be enriched with other cognitive-enhancing ingredients such as other active ingredients, vitamins, minerals or herbal extracts, which can further enhance their effect. For example, Euphoria Memory & Focus 5% CBD oil is enriched with terpenes and terpenoids, which are thought to boost the effects of CBD on memory and concentration.
• Safety and tolerability: when CBD is taken orally, it is usually well tolerated and side effects are rare.

For people who suffer from memory lapses, it is important to keep an eye on the dosage (so that they don't consume too much CBD) and also to watch for interactions with commonly taken medications.

Conclusion

CBD, because of its ability to interact with receptors in the cellular system that influence a wide range of bodily processes, could be an important aid in the prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders, which are a common cause of impaired short- and long-term memory and concentration.

For users with memory and concentration problems, CBD taken sublingually or orally, such as CBD oils and drops, tablets, capsules or edibles, may be the most suitable as they affect the whole body, have a long-lasting effect, are easy and convenient to dose, and are generally well tolerated.

Although there are not enough studies to show that CBD directly improves memory and concentration, it may help indirectly by relieving stress and anxiety or improving sleep quality. In any case, memory and concentration problems should not be underestimated if a thorough diagnosis and appropriate treatment is needed, as they may be a symptom of a more serious disease.

 

Author: Natálie Kubíčková

 

   

Photo: AI

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