High times for cannabis: Epigenetic imprint and its legacy on brain and behavior.
Henrietta Szutorisz, Yasmin L. Hurd
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Neuroplasticity Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescence Cannabinoid Chromatin Dna methylation Epigenetics Multigenerational inheritance Prenatal development Transcription |
| Key findings | The authors propose that developmental cannabinoid exposure can produce lasting epigenetic changes—such as DNA methylation and chromatin alterations—that persist across the lifespan and potentially into subsequent generations. They argue that human and animal studies have begun to identify specific epigenetic disruptions in the brain and periphery, but mechanistic investigations remain sparse, and that understanding this 'molecular memory' could inform preventive strategies and treatments for neuropsychiatric risks. |
Abstract
Extensive debates continue regarding marijuana (Cannabis spp), the most commonly used illicit substance in many countries worldwide. There has been an exponential increase of cannabis studies over the past two decades but the drug's long-term effects still lack in-depth scientific data. The epigenome is a critical molecular machinery with the capacity to maintain persistent alterations of gene expression and behaviors induced by cannabinoids that have been observed across the individual's lifespan and even into the subsequent generation. Though mechanistic investigations regarding the consequences of developmental cannabis exposure remain sparse, human and animal studies have begun to reveal specific epigenetic disruptions in the brain and the periphery. In this article, we focus attention on long-term disturbances in epigenetic regulation in relation to prenatal, adolescent and parental germline cannabinoid exposure. Expanding knowledge about the protracted molecular memory could help to identify novel targets to develop preventive strategies and treatments for behaviors relevant to neuropsychiatric risks 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 8
- Effects of acute Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol on behavior and the endocannabinoid system in HIV-1 Tat transgenic female and male mice Research Square December 29, 2022
- Age-Related Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids on Brain and Behavior. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research April 2026
- Effects of Cannabis on Glutamatergic Neurotransmission: The Interplay between Cannabinoids and Glutamate. Cells June 29, 2024
- The Synthetic Cannabinoids Eurasian Journal of Toxicology April 30, 2024
- Synthetic Cannabinoids: A Pharmacological and Toxicological Overview. The Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology August 1, 2022
and 3 more in the library
Cites 18
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- Traditional marijuana, high‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids: increasing risk for psychosis World Psychiatry September 22, 2016
- Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Current Pharmaceutical Design September 12, 2012
- Cannabis Use during Adolescent Development: Susceptibility to Psychiatric Illness Frontiers in Psychiatry 2013
- Effects of Adolescent Cannabinoid Self-Administration in Rats on Addiction-Related Behaviors and Working Memory. Neuropsychopharmacology April 2017
and 13 more in the library