Is there a Teratogenicity Risk Associated with Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabimimetics’ (‘Spice’) Intake?

Title:Is there a Teratogenicity Risk Associated with Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabimimetics’ (‘Spice’) Intake?

Volume: 16 Issue: 5

Author(s): Laura Orsolini*, Duccio Papanti, John Corkery, Maria Antonietta De Luca, Cristina Cadoni, Gaetano Di Chiara and Fabrizio Schifano

Affiliation:

• Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB,United Kingdom

Keywords: Cannabis, pregnancy, synthetic cannabimimetics, synthetic cannabinoids, teratogenicity, substance use.

Abstract: Background: Substance use, including cannabis, has been documented amongst women both in the pre-conception period and during pregnancy, particularly during the 1st trimester, which is clearly the most critical period in the organogenesis. The recent emergence on the drug market of synthetic cannabimimetics/SC (‘spice’) may represent a new challenge for clinicians.

Objective: A literature overview on the teratogenicity profile of both cannabis and synthetic cannabimimetics was here carried out.

Method: The PubMed database was searched in order to collect all relevant cases and data regarding the possible evidence of teratogenicity issues associated with cannabis and SC intake.

Results: The use of cannabis in pregnant women has been associated with a plethora of both obstetrical/ gestational complications and neurobehavioral/neurological effects on newborns. Conversely, only few and conflicting data are related to SC misuse issues.

Conclusion: Although cannabis use may be considered a risk factor for the occurrence of pregnancyrelated morbidity issues, many studies relied on self-reports and showed inconsistent results when controlling for potential confounders, including tobacco use. Given the role of the endocannabinoid system in both pregnancy and delivery, SC potency at interacting with the endocannabinoid system may be a reason of concern. Clinicians should carefully assess each woman planning a pregnancy, or who is pregnant already, and who is at risk of persisting in her current cannabis and/or SC intake. A nonjudgmental approach, aiming at collecting both a history of drug/alcohol use and at providing information regarding the risks associated with cannabis/SC intake during pregnancy is here advised.

Cite this article as:

Orsolini Laura *, Papanti Duccio , Corkery John , De Luca Antonietta Maria , Cadoni Cristina , Di Chiara Gaetano and Schifano Fabrizio , Is there a Teratogenicity Risk Associated with Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabimimetics’ (‘Spice’) Intake?, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2017; 16 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527316666170413101257

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527316666170413101257	Print ISSN 1871-5273
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1996-3181