Scientists are trying to understand how cannabis exposure in utero may affect long-term neurodevelopment. Previous studies by Washington University in St. Louis researchers Sarah Paul and David Baranger of the Behavioral Research and Imaging Neurogenetics (BRAIN) Lab led by Ryan Bogdan found an association between prenatal cannabis exposure and potential psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence, but the biological mechanisms that could explain this association were unclear.
“We are seeing evidence that cannabis exposure can affect brain development, which is consistent with links to mental health,” Baranger said.
Uncovering the long-term effects of cannabis exposure during pregnancy is not an easy problem to solve. There are many confounding factors that influence mental health and behavior. National Mental Health (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00281-7
Research reported in this press release was supported by R01DA54750 (RB, AA). Additional funding includes DAAB (K99AA030808), APM (T32DA015035), AJG (DGE-213989), SEP (F31AA029934), ASH (K01AA030083), ECJ (K01DA051759; BBRF Young Investigator Grant 29571), CER (R01DA046224), AA (R01DA54750), RB (R01DA54750, R21AA027827, U01DA055367). Data for this study were provided by the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, funded by grants U01DA041022, U01DA041025, U01DA041028, U01DA041048, U01DA041089, U01DA041093, U01DA041106, U01DA041117, U01DA041120, U01DA041134, U01DA041148, U01DA041156, U01DA041174, U24DA041123, and U24DA041147 from NIH and other federal partners (https://abcdstudy.org/federal-partners.html). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
