Effects Of Adolescence Female Cannabinoid Exposure On Male Offspring

In animal experiments THC has also been reported to lower levels of female hormones and disturb the menstrual cycle. When monkeys, rats, and mice are exposed during pregnancy to amounts of THC equivalent to a heavy human smoker’s dose, stillbirths and decreased birth weight are sometimes reported in their offspring. There are also reports of low birth weight, prematurity, and even a condition resembling the fetal alcohol syndrome in some children of women who smoke marijuana heavily during pregnancy. The significance of these reports is unclear because

Many researches are educating pregnant women about the danger of cigarettes, alcohol and the potential negative effects of cigarettes, alcohol on fetus development. However, scarce research directly addresses specific effects of marijuana on pregnant women because women who use marijuana also tend to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and more likely to use other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Thus, it is difficult to identify the precise effects of marijuana on pregnant women and on a fetus (Leemaqz, 2016.). Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United State (Murray & McKinney, 2014). According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 40-60% of marijuana users continue to use during pregnancy. Studies have also shown that marijuana crosses the placenta negatively affecting brain development, and increasing the risk of pre-term birth. Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative for adult use just passed after the election, California is added into the list of 26 states legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purpose which could increase the number of women using marijuana during pregnancy. Due to above evidences, doctors warn pregnant women, women planning to pregnancy and breastfeeding women that they should discontinue their use of marijuana and should consider alternative therapy.

This is a summary of a research article. I definitely feel that this research article has importance to both the public and students of the field of psychology because there are a lot of men and women that believe marijuana use during pregnancy has no effect on the child. This type of ignorance and unawareness is what negatively affects children born into this world. Both the public and students are able to see that just because a child is born with no obvious illnesses or abnormalities, doesn’t mean that they will not be affected later on in life. Many people are unaware of the fact that prenatal marijuana exposure can lead to

Marijuana has its strongest long-term impact on young users whose brains are developing and maturing. Researchers see a decline in verbal ability as well as general knowledge in children between ages 9-12. (National Institute on Drug Abuse August

Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug used among our teenagers in the United States. Research shows that 42% of high school seniors have smoked Cannabis, 18% within the past month and 5% smoked daily and 1 in 6 are addicts. More than 64% of teenagers reported that marijuana is very easily available (Gary). Unfortunately, some parents live in a world of denial and say “It’s not my kid. My child doesn’t smoke.” Unbeknown to us, there are unfavorable concerns for many young marijuana abusers such as the risk of addiction, poor school performances and a “gateway” to other lethal substances. Smoking marijuana increases respiratory diseases, impaired immune function, cognitive problems and motivational impairment. (National Institute on Drug Abuse). It is the leading cause of abnormal cognitive development which persists long after abstinence. Marijuana is the main drug used by children who seek emergency medical treatments and screened following an arrest or autopsies (Dennis et at).

People believe that cannabis has no harmful effects on the human brain but that is where they are wong. Teens face much higher risks due to the fact that their brains are not yet fully developed. “Cannabinoids exert their influence by regulating how cells communicate—how they send, receive, or process messages. Cannabinoids act like a type of “dimmer switch,” slowing down communication between cells” (Carah). The article further goes on to explain how marijuana can affect the brain for teens as well as for adults and how it can affect certain parts of the brain in different ways.

Within Friese and Grube, they state that Marijuana is the most commonly used drug among teens in the US and with the access to medical marijuana, teens have only increased their use (34). Research also argues that with legalization, recreational use would suggest to adolescents that marijuana is safe and normal (Friese and Grube 34). This finding suggests teen use might increase (Friese and Grube 34). Therefore, since research shows a defeat in executive functioning and processing with use of cannabis (Battistella et al.), it is essential that adolescences decrease their use since the teen brain is still maturing (Crean et al. 5). As well, there is evidence that teenagers who use cannabis in early years have more significant cognitive problems than their peers (Crean et al. 2). Furthermore, in Friese and Grube findings, they argue that a typical drug free environment is crucial for teens’ development (37) since an environment with accessible marijuana will encourage marijuana use and increase risks of negative consequences in their adulthood and health (Friese and Grube 33). Therefore, legalizing the recreational use of cannabis could potentially have a large harmful effect on

Marijuana in the late 1960s’ had only one percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, compared to present day where Health Canada has discovered there is at least 10 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol and 30 percent in some cases. The tetrahydrocannabinol is a strong chemical and works immediately after one has inhaled it. Tetrahydrocannabinol mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, which fills in the synapse between neurons and this disrupts the brain’s regular functions. In a normally functioning brain, anandamide activates the cannabinoid receptors but when smoking marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol activates these receptors which are in the hippocampus, cerebellum and basal ganglia. This affects the short-term memory, coordination, and learning and problem-solving skills for an individual. Brain development is also affected by the use of cannabis. Dr. Harold Kalant conducted a study in the 1980s’ with rats and cannabis use. He separated the rats into two groups; rats exposed to cannabis at adolescents and rats exposed to cannabis in adulthood. Kalant observed the rats exposed to cannabis as adolescents, had difficulty with memory and learning even after nine years of no exposure. In comparison, the rats who were adults when exposed to cannabis didn’t have long term effects. It is evident that brain development was disrupted by the use of cannabis in the growing years. Also, Dr. Andra Smith saw in her functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain activity of regular cannabis smokers and non-smokers, that the smokers had a more brain activity. She stated it was due to the brain having to work hard to “respond accurately”. It is obvious that brain function and development is harshly impacted by the use of

The topic of marijuana, both medicinal and recreational use, has been one of controversy over the past few decades. As with any drug, the abuse or overuse of marijuana can lead to adverse health effects. These effects are especially prominent and the most influential among adolescents, which substances in general pose the most risk too. Although the developmental influence of marijuana is detrimental to this population, it is not intended for adolescent use as is the case with alcohol. According to The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) published in 2016, rates of use among adolescents has

Humans’ brain doesn’t stop developing until they reach the age of 25 years. Therefore, there are many implications that can affect the brain cell while in the process of growing, including the use of drugs. Today’s adolescents are taking marijuana as a way to experience the greatness of “chill life.” However, they are not aware of how much it is impacting their lives.

The experiment was conducted using adult male Sprague-Dawley rats from the Charles River Laboratories in Hollister, California. The rats were housed in cages, two rats per cage, for a 12 hour light/dark cycle. The investigation began by combining the use of lateral

Plenty of teenagers in today’s society experiment with marijuana. Many teenagers also believe that marijuana is safer and less effective than alcohol and other hard drugs. But little do they know, marijuana has THC in it which is the main ingredient in it and targets receptors in the brain. Using marijuana at a young age can lead to school difficulties, problems with memory, car accidents, and poor decision making. According to the Central Virginia Marijuana Prevention Task Force, students who smoke marijuana have poorer educational outcomes than nonsmoking students. When teenagers smoke marijuana, it could lead to marijuana use disorders in which a user feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug.

First, recreational marijuana is harmful to the brains of young people. Infants and children still unborn can be harmed if their mother uses marijuana. Some women declare they use marijuana for morning sickness or other uses while pregnant. Brain impairment to the infant is the main problem associated with marijuana while pregnant (USA Today “Marijuana Health Risks”). Young people aren’t only children and infants, but also teenagers. Teenagers who use marijuana can have a significant IQ decline as they age. For example, a study indicated that individuals who began smoking marijuana heavily while teenagers and had an ongoing marijuana use disorder lost an average of eight IQ points between ages 13

Marijuana has showed tremendous changes in sick individuals suffering from neurological complications. Children who experience severe childhood epilepsy have frequent and serious seizures. These children exhibit developmental delays as well as a decreased quality of life. In the article, “Report of a parent survey of cannabidiol-enriched cannabis use in pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy,” it reports, eighty-four percent of parents reported a reduction in the amount

While many may argue that marijuana has nothing but good side effects, the research on marijuana exposure to babies in utero proves quite the opposite. The following research shows that gestational exposure to marijuana has extremely destructive effects on the development of the brain. When marijuana is inhaled during pregnancy, one third of the