Grey Area: Dr. John Howland on Cannabis and Budding Brains
A behavioural neuroscientist in Saskatoon is uncovering blunt truths about marijuana’s effects on fetal brain development.
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“There’s pretty good evidence [it’s] at least subtly affected after gestational exposure to cannabis,” said Dr. John Howland (BA'99), a professor of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine.
After landing a five-year CIHR grant of $960,076, Howland and his colleagues will study the effects of exposing pregnant rodents to high-potency smoke for up to 15 minutes at a time.
They’ll examine changes in cortical limbic circuitry of their pups, and the smoke’s effect on reflexes, memory and learning.
“The cortex is definitely involved, but we also look at other areas like the hippocampus and the amygdala,” said Howland. Part of his team will also take an in-depth look at the rodents’ retrosplenial cortex, he added.
Howland said unlike cannabis-based injections, sending pregnant rodents Into the smoke chambers a total of fifteen times creates a closer replication of real-life human cannabis use.
"It's not simple," said Howland. He notes a wide variety of phenotypes of THC and CBD strains are now available at retailers, each with its own characteristics and potential interactions with neurons.
“These receptors are involved in many discrete events during brain development,” he said. "We're hoping to be more controlled and more specific."
Howland's team is searching for ways to stem damage from high-potency strains, while exploring therapies like exercise to counteract cannabis exposure and help future generations grow healthier brains.
He said it’s research he never imagined he would be able to do, when he started studying behavioural neuroscience nearly three decades ago, prior to widespread legalization.
"Everyone thinks cannabis is safe now, but it turns out a lot of things that are legal like alcohol and tobacco aren't that safe during pregnancy either," said Howland.
"I think more knowledge has to be helpful as women make these decisions for themselves.”
Article originally published at https://medicine.usask.ca