Cannabis Exposure from Pregnancy to Early Childhood: A Family-Triad Brain Health Program CAN-B+FAM

Principal investigator

Danyka Therriault, Jean-Pascal Lemelin, Katherine Pascuzzo

Autre chercheur.e principal.e :

Annie Ouellet (principal investigator), Christiane Auray-Blais, Isabelle Boucoiran, Magaly Brodeur, Marie Anne Brunet, André C. Carpentier, Pierre-Étienne Jacques, Julie Lane, Sara Lariviere, Jean-Pascal Lemelin, Gregory Anton Lodygensky, Jose Ignacio Nazif-Munoz, Katherine Pascuzzo, Philippe Sarret, Danyka Therriault, Kevin S. Whittingstall

Researchers

J. Baillargeon, A. Beaudoin, J. Cook, A. Côté, F. Dallaire, M. Descoteaux, C. Hudon, A. Morisset, G. Paquette, M. Poitras, J. Robitaille, L. Takser, H. Vasiliadis

Project status:

Ongoing

Years:

June 2026 - May 2029

Abstract

Pregnancy and early childhood are critical periods of brain development and heightened vulnerability to environmental exposures, including cannabis. This window is of growing public health concern for two understudied and complex populations identified in the 2024 review of Canada’s Cannabis Act: young adults of reproductive age, whose cannabis use has increased markedly since legalization, and their offspring. We have established a strong foundation through the Cannabis and Neurodevelopment of Babies (CAN-B) cohort, a Canadian multisite, NIH-funded perinatal study (2021-2026). The cohort includes 442 participants (232 mothers, 210 infants) and integrates detailed prenatal cannabis exposure assessment with multimodal fetal and infant brain MRI, longitudinal neurodevelopmental follow-up (0-2 years), and an extensive biobank. Building on this deeply phenotyped cohort, we propose CAN-B+FAM, a shareable, family-centered perinatal research program designed to overcome key limitations of existing studies by longitudinally assessing both parents alongside the child. This triadic approach captures the dynamic interplay between parental substance use, biological and psychosocial factors, child brain and behavioral developmental outcomes. The CAN-B+FAM cohort, together with 3 ancillary studies (A, B, C), will generate policy-relevant evidence to support healthy families through four integrated objectives: 1. Quantify the effects of cannabis exposure (self-report and cannabinoid bioanalyses) on brain structure/function (multimodal MRI) across the family triad (fetal/parents) and relate these effects to neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and mental health outcomes. 2. Identify moderators of cannabis-related brain effects, including the biopsychosocial environment: parent/child relationships, parental mental health, genetic liability, infant epigenetics, and metabolic health (Study A), 3. Characterize phytocannabinoïds and endocannabinoid profiles, co-exposures, and contaminants in triads’ biospecimens and validate novel Volumetric Absorptive Micro sampling (VAMS) as a scalable tool for large-scale perinatal exposure monitoring (Study B). 4. Examine perinatal cannabis use trajectories, motivations, and beliefs to inform prevention, harm-reduction strategies, and clinical guidelines (Study C). CANB+FAM will enroll 720 participants, including 240 family triads followed from early pregnancy to 12 months postpartum, ensuring representation from both urban and regional populations across Quebec. In parallel, we will extend follow-up of 320 participants from the original CAN-B cohort (150 mother-child dyads and 75 partners) at child ages 3-4 years. Together, these data will form a unique longitudinal perinatal repository, aligned with the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium (CCBH) and national public health priorities.

Funding Organization:

Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (IRSC) - Subvention d'équipe : Consortium canadien sur le cannabis et la santé cérébrale