title: Prenatal, perinatal, and adolescent exposure to marijuana: Relationships with aggressive behavior.
abstract: This manuscript reviews research exploring the relationship between prenatal, perinatal, and adolescent exposure to marijuana and aggressive behavior, including physical aggression. Areas of inquiry include animal research, as well as human research, on prenatal exposure and on marijuana use during adolescence. Potential psychosocial and psychopharmacological mechanisms are identified, as well as relevant confounds. The prenatal marijuana exposure literature provides minimal support for a direct relationship with aggressive behavior in childhood. The adolescent use literature suggests a marginal (at best) association between acute intoxication and aggressive behavior, and an association between chronic use and aggressive behavior heavily influenced by demographic variables, rather than direct, psychopharmacological mechanisms. Cannabis withdrawal symptoms also may include aggression and anger, but there is little evidence to suggest that these effects are large or specific to withdrawal from marijuana compared to other substances. This review will offer recommendations for clinical care and public policy, as well as important questions for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Olivier J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Barthelemy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States; Division of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States. Electronic address: dafrank@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D002188:Cannabis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005169:Factor VIII; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008385:Marijuana Smoking; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol; C078147:F8 protein, human; D005169:Factor VIII
keywords: Adolescence; Aggression; Cannabis; Marijuana; Pregnancy; Violence