Cannabis and synaptic reprogramming of the developing brain.
Anissa Bara, Jacqueline-Marie N Ferland, Gregory Rompala, Henrietta Szutorisz, Yasmin L. Hurd
Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 2021 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00465-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | The authors argue that cannabinoid exposure during prenatal, perinatal, and adolescent development impairs synaptic plasticity and that epigenetic reprogramming maintains these effects into adulthood and across generations. They suggest that because epigenetic processes respond to the environment, this same mechanism could potentially lessen the neural perturbations caused by developmental cannabis exposure. |
Abstract
Recent years have been transformational in regard to the perception of the health risks and benefits of cannabis with increased acceptance of use. This has unintended neurodevelopmental implications given the increased use of cannabis and the potent levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol today being consumed by pregnant women, young mothers and teens. In this Review, we provide an overview of the neurobiological effects of cannabinoid exposure during prenatal/perinatal and adolescent periods, in which the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a fundamental role in neurodevelopmental processes. We highlight impaired synaptic plasticity as characteristic of developmental exposure and the important contribution of epigenetic reprogramming that maintains the long-term impact into adulthood and across generations. Such epigenetic influence by its very nature being highly responsive to the environment also provides the potential to diminish neural perturbations associated with developmental cannabis exposure.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- Effects of inhaled cannabis high in Δ9-THC or CBD on the aging brain: A translational MRI and behavioral study Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience February 1, 2023
- Acute effects of different types of cannabis on young adult and adolescent resting-state brain networks Neuropsychopharmacology May 28, 2024
- Psychedelic Treatments in Adolescent Psychopharmacology: Considering Safety, Ethics, and Scientific Rigor Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology January 6, 2025
- Exploration of cannabis use and polygenic risk scores on the psychotic symptom progression of a FEP cohort Psychiatry Research May 8, 2023
- Shrinking the know-do gap in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Nature Human Behaviour February 24, 2025
and 26 more in the library
Cites 25
- Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in adult psychopathology Frontiers in Neuroscience November 10, 2014
- Long-term hippocampal interneuronopathy drives sex-dimorphic spatial memory impairment induced by prenatal THC exposure Neuropsychopharmacology January 26, 2020
- Prenatal THC exposure produces a hyperdopaminergic phenotype rescued by pregnenolone Nature Neuroscience September 11, 2019
- Adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol alters the transcriptional trajectory and dendritic architecture of prefrontal pyramidal neurons. Molecular Psychiatry April 2019
- Adult Cellular Neuroadaptations Induced by Adolescent THC Exposure in Female Rats Are Rescued by Enhancing Anandamide Signaling. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2018
and 20 more in the library