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8403469 
Journal Article 
Review 
Cannabis and synaptic reprogramming of the developing brain 
Bara, A; Ferland, JN; Rompala, G; Szutorisz, H; Hurd, YL; , 
2021 
1 
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
ISSN: 1471-003X
EISSN: 1471-0048 
NATURE RESEARCH 
BERLIN 
423-438 
English 
34021274 
WOS:000652905000001 
Recent years have been transformational in regard to the perception of the health risks and benefits of cannabis with increased acceptance of use. This has unintended neurodevelopmental implications given the increased use of cannabis and the potent levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol today being consumed by pregnant women, young mothers and teens. In this Review, we provide an overview of the neurobiological effects of cannabinoid exposure during prenatal/perinatal and adolescent periods, in which the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a fundamental role in neurodevelopmental processes. We highlight impaired synaptic plasticity as characteristic of developmental exposure and the important contribution of epigenetic reprogramming that maintains the long-term impact into adulthood and across generations. Such epigenetic influence by its very nature being highly responsive to the environment also provides the potential to diminish neural perturbations associated with developmental cannabis exposure.