WHY IT MATTERS: Pregnant patients currently using cannabis for nausea or anxiety should understand that new preclinical evidence suggests THC exposure may alter placental biology in ways potentially linked to long-term neurodevelopmental risk in their children. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Emerging preclinical research is examining how prenatal THC exposure may leave biological signatures in placental tissue that correspond to markers associated with schizophrenia risk. The placenta, long underappreciated as a clinically meaningful organ, appears to respond to cannabinoid exposure in ways that could influence fetal neurodevelopment through epigenetic and inflammatory pathways.
Placental Changes From Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Could Flag Higher Schizophrenia …
WHY IT MATTERS: Pregnant patients who have used cannabis, even early in pregnancy, may want to discuss this emerging research with their obstetric and psychiatric care teams when considering their child’s long-term neurodevelopmental monitoring. CLINICAL OVERVIEW: Emerging research suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure may produce measurable epigenetic and gene expression changes in placental tissue, particularly in pathways associated with neurodevelopmental risk including schizophrenia. The placenta, long underappreciated as a window into fetal programming, appears to reflect cannabis-related disruptions that could correlate with altered brain development trajectories in offspring.