Early marijuana initiation: The link between prenatal marijuana exposure, early childhood behavior, and negative adult roles

Abstract

We investigated the associations among gestational factors including prenatal marijuana exposure (PME), child behavior at age 3, early age of onset of marijuana use (EAOM, < 15 years), and adult roles at 22 years. Participants were drawn from the Maternal Health Practices and Child Development (MHPCD) Project, a longitudinal study of prenatal substance exposure in offspring who have been studied for over 22 years since the prenatal phase. Data from the prenatal, birth, 3-, and 22-year phases (N=608) were used in the present study. Age of onset of offspring substance use was determined based on data from the 14-, 16-, and 22-year phases. The subjects were of lower socioeconomic status, 43% were Caucasian and the remaining were African-American, and 48% were males. Early childhood behavior was significantly (p < 0.05) related to EAOM after controlling for PME, birth and childhood environmental risk factors, and Conduct Disorder. EAOM was significantly associated with negative adult roles including increased risk of being arrested (p < 0.001), lower educational attainment (p < 0.001), having a child without being married (p < 0.05), and unemployment at 22 years (p < 0.001). The correlations between PME and negative adult roles and between early childhood behavior and negative adult roles were also statistically significant. Pathway analysis demonstrated that EAOM significantly mediated the associations between PME and fulfillment of adult roles and between early childhood behavior and adult roles. There are a number of intervention points that could be targeted that would have a long-term impact on lowering the probability of EAOM and less success in adult roles.

Effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on neuropsychological outcomes in children aged 1‐11 years: A systematic review

“…While there are some effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on neuropsychological functions in children, one has to exercise caution interpreting these effects. On one hand, though cognitive function effects due to prenatal marijuana exposure may be small in magnitude and often are not statistically significant, they may still have a significant impact on social outcomes for an individual in later life . Thus, it is important to fully understand the risks of exposure in the light of the changing culture and political climate surrounding marijuana.…”

Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines: A Comprehensive Update of Evidence and Recommendations

“…12 Maternal cannabis use has been associated with fetal growth reduction and decreased birth weight in newborns, 203 as well as with child development and behavior problems, poor school performance, and illicit drug use in children. [204][205][206][207] Case-control studies have found associations for different cancers among children when maternal cannabis use occurred during pregnancy, but provide weak evidence for causal associations. 137,[208][209][210]…”

Residential Mobility, Transience, Depression, and Marijuana Use Initiation Among Adolescents and Young Adults

“…Marijuana use is associated with a number of adverse physical and behavioral health outcomes, including poorer performance on neurocognitive tests, lower educational attainment, and risk of marijuana use disorder (ie, abuse or dependence). [1][2][3][4][5] This is especially true for adolescent marijuana use initiates where the younger the age of first use, the more severe these outcomes tend to be. [1][2][3][4][5] Residential mobility and residential transience are recently identified potential risk markers for mental health and substance use disorders, including marijuana use disorder.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5] This is especially true for adolescent marijuana use initiates where the younger the age of first use, the more severe these outcomes tend to be. [1][2][3][4][5] Residential mobility and residential transience are recently identified potential risk markers for mental health and substance use disorders, including marijuana use disorder. [6][7][8] Residential mobility (ie, moving) has been shown to be a source of life stress and social disruption among adolescents that can interrupt friendship networks 9 and interfere with school attachment 10,11 and has been linked to poor mental health outcomes.…”