CBD improved memory in adolescent rats that were exposed to THC before birth

Prenatal THC exposure (2 mg/kg, gestational days 5-20) impaired spatial and configural memory and disrupted hippocampal plasticity markers in adolescent rats. CBD administration (40 mg/kg) before cognitive tasks mitigated impairments in both reward-motivated and aversion-driven memory tests and normalized NMDA receptor subunits, PSD95, Homer 1, and CB1R-related signaling in the hippocampus.

Wistar rats prenatally exposed to THC (2 mg/kg subcutaneously, gestational days 5-20) or vehicle were tested during adolescence using the Can test (reinforcement-motivated) and Barnes maze (aversion-driven). CBD (40 mg/kg i.p.) was administered before testing. Hippocampal markers of excitatory plasticity and endocannabinoid signaling were assessed.

If prenatal THC exposure causes cognitive harm, finding that CBD can rescue those deficits during the adolescent developmental window offers a potential therapeutic approach, though the study also underscores the importance of preventing prenatal exposure.

Adolescence may represent a critical window for brain reprogramming, where interventions like CBD could potentially address developmental insults. However, preventing prenatal cannabis exposure remains the primary goal.

Animal model with specific doses that may not translate to humans. CBD was given acutely before testing rather than as a chronic treatment. Single THC dose during gestation may not reflect variable human exposure patterns.