The First “Hit” to the Endocannabinoid System? Associations Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Frontolimbic White Matter Pathways in Children

Abstract Background: Cannabis is the most used federally illicit substance among pregnant people in the United States. However, emerging preclinical data show that a significant portion of cannabis constituents, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and its bioactive metabolites, readily cross the placenta and accumulate in the fetal brain, disrupting neurodevelopment. Recent research using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study cohort has linked prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) to greater neurobehavioral problems and lower total gray and white matter volume in children. Here,