Introduction: The increase of cannabis use, particularly with the evolution of high potency products, and of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are a growing health care concern. While the harms of adult use and potential medicinal properties of cannabis continue to be debated, it is becoming evident that adolescent cannabis use is a critical window for CUD risk with potential lifelong mental health implications. Herein, we discuss mental health consequences of adolescent cannabis use, factors that contribute to the risk of developing CUD, and w(S(hat remains unclear in the changing legal landscape of cannabis use. We also discuss the importance of preclinical models to provide translational insight about the causal relationship of cannabis to CUD-related phenotypes and conclude by highlighting opportunities for clinicians and allied professionals to engage in addressing adolescent cannabis use.
Conclusion: The relationship between developmental cannabis, the impact of high potency products, and increased risk of developing CUD and mental health problems must be taken seriously, especially in light of the current mental health crisis. The plasticity of the developing brain offers windows of opportunity for prevention and early intervention to change that trajectory. Clearly new treatment strategies are needed to address the mounting challenge of CUD risk in teens and young adults. While data accumulated over the past decades about the effects of now “low dose” THC has been very valuable, significant research efforts in preclinical models are needed, focused on THC potency relevant to today’s products. Additionally, longitudinal studies such as ABCD should be able to provide important insights about factors related to resilience that may also help guide the development of intervention strategies. Altogether, the combined longitudinal, clinical and preclinical efforts will help provide unprecedented knowledge to mitigate the trajectory of CUD and related psychiatric disorders, both of which have a strong neurodevelopmental etiology.
Prenatal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure is associated with changes in rhesus macaque DNA methylation enriched for autism genes
Abstract
Background: With the growing availability of cannabis and the popularization of additional routes of cannabis use beyond smoking, including edibles, the prevalence of cannabis use in pregnancy is rapidly increasing. However, the potential effects of prenatal cannabis use on fetal developmental programming remain unknown.
Results: We designed this study to determine whether the use of edible cannabis during pregnancy is deleterious to the fetal and placental epigenome. Pregnant rhesus macaques consumed a daily edible containing either delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (2.5 mg/7 kg/day) or placebo. DNA methylation was measured in 5 tissues collected at cesarean delivery (placenta, lung, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, and right ventricle of the heart) using the Illumina MethylationEPIC platform and filtering for probes previously validated in rhesus macaque. In utero exposure to THC was associated with differential methylation at 581 CpGs, with 573 (98%) identified in placenta. Loci differentially methylated with THC were enriched for candidate autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) database in all tissues. The placenta demonstrated greatest SFARI gene enrichment, including genes differentially methylated in placentas from a prospective ASD study.
Conclusions: Overall, our findings reveal that prenatal THC exposure alters placental and fetal DNA methylation at genes involved in neurobehavioral development that may influence longer-term offspring outcomes. The data from this study add to the limited existing literature to help guide patient counseling and public health polices focused on prenatal cannabis use in the future.
In observance of World Earth Day, the conversation around environmental impact has taken a sharp turn to address the burgeoning issues surrounding the cultivation and legalization of cannabis. The latest reports draw an inseparable link between this practice and the deterioration of public environmental health.
An authoritative analysis by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that the carbon footprint of indoor cannabis cultivation is colossal, landing between 16 and 100 times greater than its outdoor counterpart. This difference stems from the energy-intensive nature of artificial cultivation environments. Similarly, laboratory-produced drugs such as cocaine leave a carbon trace 30 times wider than that of cocoa bean production.
The environmental ramifications of these findings are profound. Deforestation and rapacious water usage associated with the illicit cultivation of cannabis significantly contributes to these adverse effects. This hazardous pattern propagates unfavorably, affecting not only human communities but the entirety of the Earth's ecosystems. The UNODC report raises the alarm that other organisms and animals suffer indirectly due to such practices, which ultimately imbalance the delicate food chain.
Our reports inform us that while the cannabis industry burgeons and cannabis stocks soar amid North American and global legalization waves, there's a silent crisis unfolding. Advances in the market are in stark contrast with the escalating ecological footprint, further illuminated by wastewater studies that indicate tracking cannabis use is fraught with challenges.
In an attempt to contextualize the individual's accountability and the cannabis industry's responsibility within the climate change discourse, a recent journal article frames a compelling question. Which came first – the chicken of escalating drug demand driven by addiction and self-medication or the egg of catastrophic environmental damage propelled by drug cultivation and production?
The Dalgarno Institute, acutely focused on the intersection of public health and environmental stewardship, highlights the perils of normalized cannabis usage amidst such dire environmental consequences. It stands firm in its commitment to educating the community and legislatures about the net negative impact of cannabis growth on our planet's wellbeing—both ecological and human. On a day meant to galvanize action towards sustainability and respectful coexistence with nature, we are urged to consider the broader, often concealed, consequences of cannabis legalization.
In keeping with our duty to the community, it is essential for all stakeholders involved, from legislators to consumers, to closely examine the tangible repercussions of their choices. We must commit to the protection of our environment, fortify against public health decline, and resist the allure of unverified, and in many cases, clearly failed ‘Cannabis liberalisation’ solutions to the detriment of planetary health and a growing number of its most vulnerable citizens. As we move forward, the imperative for authentic, serious discourse on the environmental impact of cannabis cultivation is clear. The call to act responsibly and decisively has never been more urgent.
In light of these revelations, the Dalgarno Institute reiterates the urgency of integrating environmental consciousness into our policy-making and communal behaviors. Acknowledging the data presented by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that highlights the severe environmental implications of indoor cannabis cultivation and synthetic drug manufacturing, our conversation must pivot towards sustainable practices. Similarly, the alarming connections between drug demand, addiction, and environmental degradation necessitate a more profound communal and legislative introspection. It is no longer viable to overlook the ecological footprint associated with the drug industry, especially in the context of cannabis legalisation accelerating pace worldwide.
The challenge lies not only in advocating for policy change but also in fostering a collective responsibility towards environmental stewardship. At the very least we must encourage a transition to outdoor cultivation methods for cultivation of cannabis product for legitimate medicines, that significantly reduce carbon footprints and implement stringent regulations for waste management in drug production. Additionally, supporting research into sustainable licit drug cultivation and production practices can pave the way for innovations that align with our environmental goals.
Our commitment to the environment and public health emphasises the need for informed choices and actions. By recognizing the intricate link between our habits, industries, and the planet's health, we can begin to mitigate the adverse effects highlighted in the UNODC report. Together, as a community invested in the future of our planet, we call for a concerted effort to reevaluate and adjust our practices in favour of a more sustainable and healthy world.
The Dalgarno Institute's engagement with World Earth Day is not merely a call to action but a reminder of our shared responsibility to heal and protect our planet. Through education, policy reform, and community efforts, we can reduce demand and subsequently counter the negative impacts of drug cultivation and production on the environment. It is imperative that we act now, with conviction and collaboration, to ensure a thriving planet for future generations. Team @ Dalgarno Institute
Summary: Epigenetics causes changes in the phenotype in the absence of changes in the DNA of genes, i.e., the genotype. Under various influences, such as exposure to certain xenobiotics, epigenetic marks are produced by different mechanisms, including the grafting of methyl groups onto certain cytosines of DNA, or on diaminated acids of histones, or the grafting of acetyl groups onto these histones around which the DNA of genes is wrapped. These modifications affect the exposure of these DNA segments to RNA polymerases that copy it into messenger RNAs, resulting in the carrier proteins of each of our traits. As a result, the expression of these genes can be repressed or increased. Tetrahydrocannabinol/THC, the major psychotropic and addictive principle of cannabis, induces epigenetic effects in its users that can have a lasting effect on some of their characteristics. If they are of childbearing age or if they are pregnant women, they will be able to pass on these epigenetic marks to their offspring. This transmission may result in malformations of the conceived child, reductions in height and birth weight, delayed development of staturoweight and mental health, increased risk of sudden death, hyperactivity with attention deficit, vulnerability to autism, drug addiction, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, etc. immune deficiencies.
The Link Between Cannabis Use and Violent Behavior in the Early Phase of Psychosis: The Potential Role of Impulsivity
The use of various substances (without distinction) is known to be a key dimension in the risk for VB (Violent Behaviour) and recidivism particularly in people suffering from psychosis. Cannabis is the most widely used recreational drug in the world among young people (18–25 years) and is particularly prevalent among young people with psychotic disorders and mainly in the EPP. In the latter group, high rates of CU (29–38%) are evidenced, which can have both clinical and neurobiological deleterious consequences.
Moreover, in subgroups of violent patients with psychosis, our literature review shows elevated levels of CU: ranging from 40 to 49% in chronic patients, 44 to 64% in EPP and reaching a rate of 70% in a sample of 2,102 prisoners at high risk for developing psychosis
World Federation Against Drugs (W.F.A.D) Dalgarno Institute is a member of this global initiative. For evidence based data on best practice drug policy in the global context.
The Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. is to reduce the use of illegal drugs. We work to achieve this mission by conducting research, promoting ideas that are affordable and scalable...
Drug Free Australia Website. Drug Free Australia is a peak body, representing organizations and individuals who value the health and wellbeing of our nation...
(I.T.F.S.D.P) This international peak body continues to monitor and influence illicit drug policy on the international stage. Dalgarno Institute is a member organisation.
The National Alliance for Action on Alcohol is a national coalition of health and community organisations from across Australia that has been formed with the goal of reducing alcohol-related harm.
RiverMend Health is a premier provider of scientifically driven, specialty behavioral health services to those suffering from alcohol and drug dependency, dual disorders, eating disorders, obesity and chronic pain.
Introduction: The increase of cannabis use, particularly with the evolution of high potency products, and of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are a growing health care concern. While the harms of adult use and potential medicinal properties of cannabis continue to be debated, it is becoming evident that adolescent cannabis use is a critical window for CUD risk with potential lifelong mental health implications. Herein, we discuss mental health consequences of adolescent cannabis use, factors that contribute to the risk of developing CUD, and w(S(hat remains unclear in the changing legal landscape of cannabis use. We also discuss the importance of preclinical models to provide translational insight about the causal relationship of cannabis to CUD-related phenotypes and conclude by highlighting opportunities for clinicians and allied professionals to engage in addressing adolescent cannabis use.
In observance of World Earth Day, the conversation around environmental impact has taken a sharp turn to address the burgeoning issues surrounding the cultivation and legalization of cannabis. The latest reports draw an inseparable link between this practice and the deterioration of public environmental health.
