Background: Executive functioning  processes  are  integral  to  higher  brain  functions,  particularly  in  the  areas  of  goal formation,  planning,  goal-directed  action,  self-monitoring,  attention,  response inhibition,  and coordination  of  complex  cognition  and  motor  control for  effective  performance (Jurado, 2007).  Various researches have shown that individual with cannabis dependence syndrome may result in impaired executive functioning such as response inhibition, problems of attention, decision-making, problem solving, abstract reasoning and set shifting.
Aim: The present study has been undertaken with the aim to assess and compare the Executive functioning deficits between the cases with cannabis dependence syndrome and normal control subjects.

Methodology: By using purposive sampling technique a total of 60 subjects diagnosed according to ICD-10 DCR criteria were selected for the present study. Further among these 60 subjects, 30 subjects were of cannabis dependence syndrome and 30 subjects were in the group of normal control subjects. Tools used were Wisconsin Card Shorting Test and Comprehensive Trail Making Test.

Result and Conclusion: The Results of the present study revealed that the subjects with cannabis dependence syndrome showed cognitive deficits when compared to normal control subjects. Subjects with cannabis dependence syndrome exhibited decreased level of attention, poor decision-making, inadequate problem solving and poor set shifting. Furthermore, it was also found that the subjects with cannabis dependence syndrome took morenumber of trails, more perseveration, high errors and extra time in comparison to normal control subjects on Wisconsin card sorting test and Comprehensive Trail-making test.

Keywords: Executive functioning Deficits, Executive and Cannabis dependence syndrome