McGill University researchers at the Douglas Research Centre using brain imaging gain rare insight into how prenatal exposure to modern, high-THC cannabis affects brain development into adulthood.
While public health agencies caution against cannabis use during pregnancy, most supporting evidence from humans is observational. The findings add biological evidence showing how heavy use can disrupt brain growth from early development to adulthood.
Published in Molecular Psychiatry, a Nature Portfolio journal, the preclinical study also reflects the higher-potency cannabis available today, helping to fill a gap in understanding its potential risks.
“Since cannabis legalization is relatively recent, we don’t yet have long-term human data on newer THC products,” said senior author Mallar Chakravarty, Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and researcher at the Douglas. “Our findings offer an early glimpse of possible outcomes a decade or two down the line.”