Association of Cannabis Use During Adolescence With Neurodevelopment
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Key Points
Question To what extent is cannabis use associated with magnetic resonance imaging–measured cerebral cortical thickness development during adolescence?
Findings In this cohort study, linear mixed-effects model analysis using 1598 magnetic resonance images from 799 participants revealed that cannabis use was associated with accelerated age-related cortical thinning from 14 to 19 years of age in predominantly prefrontal regions. The spatial pattern of cannabis-related cortical thinning was significantly associated with a positron emission tomography–assessed map of cannabinoid 1 receptor availability.
Meaning Results suggest that cannabis use during middle to late adolescence may be associated with altered cerebral cortical development, particularly in regions rich in cannabinoid 1 receptors.