Cannabis and the Developing Brain

Marijuana is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in the United States, after alcohol. With the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis, momentum continues to build and propelled by the reduction of stigma associated to its consumption, there is growing concern regarding the long-term impact on brain function and behavior.

Cannabis and the Developing Brain aims to provide comprehensive research on the effects of cannabis during neurodevelopment stages (i.e., perinatal and adolescent ages). This book introduces readers to vivo neural circuits, molecular and cellular mechanisms affected by cannabis exposure during three different temporal windows of brain vulnerability. Second, it offers a unique insight to shared neurobiological features of cannabinoid exposure during different developmental periods. Lastly, Cannabis and the Developing Brain determines the adverse impact of developmental cannabinoid exposure on specific cognition, emotion and behaviors.

1. Pre-clinical models of neurodevelopmental cannabinoid exposure
Ken Mackie
2. Epigenetic imprint: An underlying link to developmental effects of pre-natal cannabis exposure
Anissa Bara and Yasmin L. Hurd
3. Impact of adolescent THC exposure on later adulthood: Focus on mesocorticolimbic function and behaviors
Anthony English, Benjamin Land, and Nephi Stella
4. Endocannabinoids and sex differences in the developing social behavior network
Margaret M. McCarthy, Ashley E. Marquardt, and Jonathan W. VanRyzin
5. Behavioral consequences of pre/peri-natal Cannabis exposure
Antonia Manduca and Viviana Trezza
6. Correlates and consequences of cannabinoid exposure on adolescent brain remodeling: Focus on glial cells and epigenetics
Zamberletti Erica, Manenti Cristina, Gabaglio Marina, Rubino Tiziana, and Parolaro Daniela
7. Effects of pre-natal THC exposure on the mesolimbic dopamine system: Unveiling an endophenotype of sensory information processing deficits
Roberto Frau and Miriam Melis
8. Perinatal cannabis exposure and long-term consequences on synaptic programming
Gabriele Giua, Olivier J.J. Manzoni, and Andrew F. Scheyer
9. Molecular and cellular principles of endocannabinoid signaling and their sensitivity to cannabis in the developing brain
Erik Keimpema and Tibor Harkany
10. How adolescent cannabinoid exposure sets the stage for long-term emotional and cognitive dysregulation: Impacts on molecular and neuronal risk pathways
Steven R. Laviolette
11. Molecular mechanisms underlying cannabis-induced risk of psychosis
Paula Unzueta-Larrinaga, Luis F. Callado, and Leyre Uriguen
12. Synthetic cannabinoids: State-of-the-art with a focus on fertility and development
A.-L. P_elissier-Alicot
13. Pre-natal THC exposure interferes with the neurodevelopmental role of endocannabinoid signaling
Ismael Galve-Roperh, Adan de Salas-Quiroga,Samuel Simon Sanchez, and Manuel Guzman
14. Cannabis effects on the adolescent brain
Kateryna Murlanova, Yuto Hasegawa, Atsushi Kamiya, and Mikhail V. Pletnikov

Miriam Melis is an Associate Professor at the University of Cagliari, Italy. She holds a PharmD (University of Palermo, 1993) as well as a PhD in Neuroscience (University of Cagliari, 2011). During her career she worked as a Research Fellow for two years at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF and as a Visiting Scientist at Lund Universitet Wallenberg Neuroscience Center in 2011. Her research is focused on understanding neurobiological mechanisms (i.e., adaptations of both mesocorticolimbic dopamine and endocannabinoid signaling) of resilience and susceptibility to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes leading to neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., psychotic- spectrum, substance use disorder, antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression). She has published 46 research papers, 5 book chapters and edited two books specifically on the effects of (endo)cannabinoids in the CNS.
Olivier Manzoni is a Research Director at INSERM in Marseille and director of the International Associated Laboratory CannaLab (University of Indiana, Bloomington USA / Aix-Marseille University, France). His research is centered on understanding the molecular basis of synaptic plasticity in normal and pathological conditions, with a focus on the function of the endocannabinoid system and the effects of cannabis during lifetime.