Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) has been recently estimated to afflict up to 5% of American children. Most of these children exhibit different degrees of symptomatology of disruptive behaviors. Yet, there has been very little research on the efficacy and safety of pharmacological modalities, limited mostly to stimulants for attention deficit hyperactive disorder or second generation atypical antipsychotics for aggression. Recently, the use of cannabinoids has been described for symptoms related to autistic spectrum disorder with apparent favorable effects, as well as for other disruptive behaviors. The objective of our study was to follow up...

Abstract Prenatal cannabis use and maternal stress have been proposed as risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Black mothers and mothers of lower socioeconomic status (SES) may be especially likely to experience high levels of stress. This study examined the impact of prenatal cannabis use and maternal stress (i.e., prenatal distress, racial discrimination, and lower SES) on child ASD-related behaviors in a sample of 172 Black mother-child pairs. We found that prenatal stress was significantly associated with ASD-related behaviors. Prenatal cannabis use did not predict ASD-related behaviors and did not interact with maternal stress to predict ASD-related behaviors. These findings replicate previous work...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract This study examined the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses and traits. A total sample of 11,570 children (ages 1–18; 53% male; 25% Hispanic; 60% White) from 34 cohorts of the National Institutes of Health-funded environmental influences on child health outcomes consortium were included in analyses. Results from generalized linear mixed models replicated previous studies showing that associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and ASD traits in children are not significant when controlling for relevant covariates, particularly tobacco exposure. Child biological sex did not moderate the association between prenatal cannabis exposure...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract OBJECTIVE:  To characterize recommendations given to pregnant women by Colorado cannabis dispensaries regarding use of cannabis products for nausea during the first trimester of pregnancy. METHODS:  This was a statewide cross-sectional study in which advice about cannabis product use was requested using a mystery caller approach. The caller stated she was 8 weeks pregnant and experiencing morning sickness. Dispensaries were randomly selected from the Colorado Department of Revenue Enforcement Division website. The primary outcome was the proportion of marijuana dispensaries that recommended a cannabis product for use during pregnancy. We hypothesized that 50% of dispensaries...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objectives:  The objective of this study was to investigate pregnant women's current use of cannabis and their intended patterns of use with relation to their views on the legalization of cannabis and their knowledge of potential harms. Methods:  A voluntary, anonymous survey regarding patterns of use of cannabis and views on legalization was distributed to a convenience sample of pregnant women presenting for prenatal care at an outpatient university clinic. Chi-square and Fischer's exact tests were used for analysis using STATA. Results:  Of 306 surveys returned, 35% of women reported currently using cannabis at the...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background 4−20% of people report using cannabis during pregnancy, thereby it is essential to assess the associated risks. There is some evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) may be associated with increased risk for developing of obesity and diabetes later in life, however this has not been well explored under controlled conditions. The aim of this study was to use a translational THC vapor model in rodents to characterize the effects of PCE on adiposity, glucose metabolism, and feeding patterns in adulthood, with focus on potential sex differences. Methods Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract While Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been widely studied in the realm of developmental and reproductive toxicology, few studies have investigated potential toxicities from a second widely used cannabis constituent, cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is popularized for its therapeutic potential for reducing seizure frequencies in epilepsy. This study investigated developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) via multigenerational gene expression patterns, behavior phenotypes, and reproductive fitness of a subsequent F1 following an F0 developmental exposure of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to THC (0.024, 0.12, 0.6 mg/L; 0.08, 0.4, 2 μM) or CBD (0.006, 0.03, 0.15 mg/L; 0.02, 0.1, 0.5 μM). Embryonic exposure at these concentrations did not cause notable morphological...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The increased legal availability of cannabis has led to a common misconception that it is a safe natural remedy for, among others, pregnancy-related ailments such as morning sickness. Emerging clinical evidence, however, indicates that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) predisposes offspring to various neuropsychiatric disorders linked to aberrant dopaminergic function. Yet, our knowledge of how cannabis exposure affects the maturation of this neuromodulatory system remains limited. Here, we show that male, but not female, offspring of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-exposed dams, a rat PCE model, exhibit extensive molecular and synaptic changes in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental...

Abstract Aims The endocannabinoid system with its type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) expressed in postmitotic neuroblasts is a critical chemotropic guidance module with its actions cascading across neurogenic commitment, neuronal polarisation and synaptogenesis in vertebrates. Here, we present the systematic analysis of regional CB1R expression in the developing human brain from gestational week 14 until birth. In parallel, we diagrammed differences in CB1R development in Down syndrome foetuses and identified altered CB1R signalling. Methods Foetal brains with normal development or with Down's syndrome were analysed using standard immunohistochemistry, digitalised light microscopy and image analysis (NanoZoomer). CB1R function was investigated by in vitro neuropharmacology from...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The use of cannabis during pregnancy is a growing public health concern. As more countries implement legislation permitting recreational cannabis use, there is an urgent need to better understand its impact on fetal neurodevelopment and its long-term effects in exposed offspring. Studies examining effects of prenatal cannabis exposure typically employ injections of synthetic cannabinoids or isolated cannabis constituents that may not accurately model cannabis use in human populations. To address this limitation, we developed a novel e-cigarette technology-based system to deliver vaporized cannabis extracts to pregnant Long Evans rats. We used this model to determine effects of prenatal cannabis exposure...