Psychotropic Effects of Cannabis
Plant-Based Therapeutics, Volume 1 January 1, 2023 Ivan A. Ross
Brain development from fetal life through adolescence involves ordered events and critical periods of plasticity, during which the brain is especially sensitive to environmental influences. The endocannabinoid system plays a direct and indirect role in these plasticity and maturation processes. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of Cannabis, crosses the placental barrier, is present in breast milk, and diffuses into the brain. It interacts with endocannabinoid signaling by activating cannabinoid receptors, which can lead to abnormal neurodevelopmental processes and disrupt the functions of neuronal circuits.