Study suggests cannabis use during pregnancy could cause lifelong cognitive deficits

Western researchers also find impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on cognition and memory differs by sex While previous research has shown that prenatal cannabis exposure can obstruct the normal growth of a fetus, the long-term impacts on brain development are still unknown. Western researchers are now providing fresh insight into this area, while also identifying a possible direction to treat the adverse effects. Led by Addictions Research Group member Mohammed H. Sarikahya and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Steven Laviolette , a new study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has shown that prenatal exposure to cannabis in rodents led to lasting, substantial effects on cognitive and memory functions. Interestingly, these effects are sex-specific, suggesting males and females may be affected differently by cannabis exposure in the womb. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, cannabis usage is reported among up to 22 per cent of Canadian pregnant women aged 18 -24, underlining the critical significance of the study's findings. "Over the past two decades, concentrations of THC - the primary psychoactive component in cannabis - have risen from three per cent to 22 per cent. THC can pass through the placenta and impact the developing fetal brain," said Sarikahya.