What Brain Imaging Tells Us About Prenatal Cannabis Exposure
A review of MRI-based studies found that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with brain differences in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions from in utero through adolescence, but inconsistent methods prevent clear conclusions.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Across 9 studies meeting criteria, prenatal cannabis exposure was linked to structural and functional brain differences spanning from in utero to adolescence across multiple MRI modalities, but no consistent trend could be identified due to wide methodological variation.
Key Numbers
9 studies reviewed; 1 in utero, 2 in infancy, 6 in early adolescence; only 3 included both MRI and behavioral outcomes; differences found in frontal, parietal, and temporal brain regions
How They Did This
Narrative review of post-2019 studies using structural MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging, resting-state fMRI, and/or task-based fMRI to examine prenatal cannabis exposure effects on brain development, yielding 9 qualifying studies.
Why This Research Matters
With rising cannabis use during pregnancy, understanding its impact on fetal brain development is critical — this review reveals how little we know and how inconsistent current research methods are.
The Bigger Picture
The sparse and methodologically inconsistent literature on prenatal cannabis exposure and brain development highlights an urgent need for standardized, large-scale longitudinal research as cannabis use during pregnancy increases.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Narrative review (not systematic); only 9 studies met criteria; wide variation in exposure assessment methods; difficulty separating cannabis effects from other prenatal exposures; limited behavioral outcome data.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do brain structural differences translate to cognitive or behavioral impacts?
- ?How do THC potency and timing of exposure affect outcomes?
- ?Can standardized research protocols enable future meta-analyses?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Narrative review of a small, heterogeneous literature with no meta-analysis possible — findings are suggestive but far from conclusive.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026; reviews studies from 2019 onward.
- Original Title:
- Investigating Links Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Brain Development Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques: A Narrative Review.
- Published In:
- Biological psychiatry global open science, 6(1), 100624 (2026)
- Authors:
- Gonçalves, Priscila Dib(3), Woodruff, James O, Pozzolo Pedro, Maria Olivia, van Dijk, Milenna T, Bruzelius, Emilie, Martins, Silvia S, Bandoli, Gretchen, Potter, Alexandra, Cioffredi, Leigh-Anne, Talati, Ardesheer, Albaugh, Matthew D
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08284
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research without a strict systematic method.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does using cannabis during pregnancy affect the baby's brain?
MRI studies suggest prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with brain differences in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, but research is too inconsistent to draw firm conclusions about specific effects.
How strong is the evidence on prenatal cannabis and brain development?
The evidence is preliminary — only 9 qualifying MRI studies exist, with wide variation in methods, making consistent conclusions impossible at this time.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08284APA
Gonçalves, Priscila Dib; Woodruff, James O; Pozzolo Pedro, Maria Olivia; van Dijk, Milenna T; Bruzelius, Emilie; Martins, Silvia S; Bandoli, Gretchen; Potter, Alexandra; Cioffredi, Leigh-Anne; Talati, Ardesheer; Albaugh, Matthew D. (2026). Investigating Links Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Brain Development Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques: A Narrative Review.. Biological psychiatry global open science, 6(1), 100624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100624
MLA
Gonçalves, Priscila Dib, et al. "Investigating Links Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Brain Development Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques: A Narrative Review.." Biological psychiatry global open science, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100624
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Investigating Links Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and B..." RTHC-08284. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/goncalves-2026-investigating-links-between-prenatal
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.