Abstract
Background: Despite limited data demonstrating pronounced negative effects of prenatal cannabis exposure, popular opinion and public policies still reflect the belief that cannabis is fetotoxic.Methods: This article provides a critical review of results from longitudinal studies examining the impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on multiple domains of cognitive functioning in individuals aged 0 to 22 years. A literature search was conducted through PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they examined the cognitive performance of offspring exposed to cannabis in utero.Results: An examination of the total number of statistical comparisons (n = 1,001) between groups of participants that were exposed to cannabis prenatally and non-exposed controls revealed that those exposed performed differently on a minority of cognitive outcomes (worse on <3.5 percent and better in <1 percent). The clinical significance of these findings appears to be limited because cognitive performance scores of cannabis-exposed groups overwhelmingly fell within the normal range when compared against normative data adjusted for age and education.Conclusions: The current evidence does not suggest that prenatal cannabis exposure alone is associated with clinically significant cognitive functioning impairments.
Highlights
In the United States (U.S.), and in most countries around the world, cannabis is illegal
We found that mean scores for the object assembly subtest and perceptual organization index were within the normal range
The findings of this critical review indicate that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with few effects on the cognitive functioning of offspring
Summary
In the United States (U.S.), and in most countries around the world, cannabis is illegal. Still, according to recent data from the U.S, more than 25 million people reported past month cannabis use, outpacing the number of current cocaine (2.2 million) and heroin users (494,000) (NSDUH Detailed Tables, 2017). 63.8% of respondents to a global drug survey endorsed using cannabis at least once, a rate higher than any other illicit drug (GDS, 2019). Taken together, these findings demonstrate that cannabis use persists in the U.S as well as around the globe despite legal restrictions. These findings demonstrate that cannabis use persists in the U.S as well as around the globe despite legal restrictions Countries such as Uruguay and Canada have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes. Despite limited data demonstrating pronounced negative effects of prenatal cannabis exposure, popular opinion and public policies still reflect the belief that cannabis is fetotoxic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
