Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

Many people believe products high in CBD (cannabidiol) are safer than those high in THC (the ingredient that causes a "high"). We do not yet know if that is true during pregnancy, especially when cannabis is smoked, which remains the most common form of consumption. In this study, pregnant rats will breathe brief daily sessions of cannabis smoke that is either low in CBD or high in CBD. We will follow the pups from early life into young adulthood, examining their everyday functions, including growth and early milestones, learning and memory, attention, social behaviour, and signs of anxiety. To understand how any changes happen, we will also measure how much THC, CBD, and their by-products reach the mother, the placenta, and the fetal brain, and we will examine brain and placental biology, including the body's natural "cannabis-like" system. Importantly, we will study both males and females to see if effects differ by sex. By using a realistic smoke model and linking exposure levels to later outcomes, this work will give families and clinicians clearer, evidence-based guidance about CBD-rich cannabis in pregnancy and support public-health messaging.