The lasting neurobehavioural effects of cannabinoids: A comparison of perinatal adolescent, and early adult exposure

Abstract

Historically, few other drugs of abuse have provoked more controversy than cannabis. Cannabis use appears to have originated in Central Asia, and has a long history reported to date back centuries before the birth of Christ (for review see Fankhauser, 2002). It is not only one of the oldest medicinal plants known, but is considered an innocuous drug of leisure in most countries (EISohly, 2002). Whilst use of cannabis has been reported to have a number of positive recreational (Health Council of the Netherlands: Standing Committee on Medicine, 1996) and health benefits (Joy, Watson, & Benson, 1999), negative psychological and physiological symptoms have also been reported (for review see Hall, Solowij, &Lemon, 1994). The following research confirms that there are a number of negative effects associated with cannabis exposure. However, the author wishes to put these findings in perspective--In the author's mind, it is unclear as to whether cannabis use should be legalised or retain its illegal status. The exploration of this question is beyond the scope of the current research. It is clear however, that cannabis has attracted "bad press" in a historical sense. The onset of this situation primarily occurred in 1937, when cannabis attracted an illicit status when the "Marihuana Tax Act" was passed by the United States of America Congress at the insistence of Harry Anslinger, then the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (Goode, 1970). Interestingly, this is the same year in which Anslinger published an article titled: "Marijuana- Assassin of Youth" (Anslinger 1937), which portrayed cannabis as a drug responsible for inducing murders, suicides and homicidal behaviour. At the point of publication, no experimental evidence to support these accusations existed, and to this day, such claims remain unsupported. According to the legislators, a major reason drugs are criminalised and the cost of policing and legislating justified, is to curb violent behaviour. The irony of this situation is that the drug most likely to induce aggressive behaviour is legally available and sold by the state for profit (Hoaken & Stewart, 2003).