Cannabis “in utero”: the fetus as a compulsive consumer

Abstract

Cannabis sativa, a plant known for millennia for its hallucinogenic and medicinal effects, contains widely consumed psychoactive substances worldwide, with increasing numbers among adolescents and adults, including pregnant women. Due to its potential adverse effects on users, it is of fundamental importance to know and disseminate the harm caused to humans in order to reduce the consumption of this drug. This article presents a review of the physiological and pharmacological characteristics of psychoactive substances present in cannabis, their actions on the endocannabinoid system and the placenta. It also highlights the main clinical repercussions that can occur with the fetus and, in the long run, with children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy.

Neural Stem Cells and Cannabinoids in the Spotlight as Potential Therapy for Epilepsy

“…Type-specific neuronal identification, synaptic button sprouting, and axonal migration are CB1R dependent [ 227 ]. All of these mechanisms can be abruptly disturbed and altered by phytocannabinoids, as these can pass the placental barrier [ 228 ]. In this critical developmental period, changes in eCB signaling can have an impact on cognition and behavior in the adult (reviewed in References [ 229 , 230 ]).…”

“…In this critical developmental period, changes in eCB signaling can have an impact on cognition and behavior in the adult (reviewed in References [ 229 , 230 ]). In fact, maternal use of Cannabis during pregnancy induced an increase in susceptibility of neonatal problems, namely, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and neonatal intensive care [ 231 , 232 ], while later children display cognitive deficits, namely, in executive function, working memory tasks, sustained attention and learning, as well as psychiatric disorders [ 233 , 234 ] (reviewed in Reference [ 228 ]).…”

Cannabis during pregnancy: A way to transfer an impairment to later life

“…Due to their lipophilicity and small molecular size, cannabis metabolites can easily cross cellular barriers, and are detectable in many types of human tissues (Bar‐Oz et al, 2003). Based on estimates, one‐third of the maternal plasma concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the primary psychoactive molecule in cannabis crosses the fetoplacental barriers (Ciampo & Del Ciampo, 2019). Consistent with this, following maternal exposure to cannabis, metabolites have been found not only in the placenta, and amniotic fluid, but also, alarmingly, within the fetus (Harbison et al, 1977; Hurd et al, 2005).…”