Effects upon rat offspring following cannabis inhalation before and/or after mating.

Abstract

Cannabis inhalation in gravid rats on gestational days 1-19 resulted in offspring that were smaller at birth, had delayed physiological development and were less active than control pups. Administering the cannabis for 19 days before mating and continuing during gestation attenuated the drug effects, which was interpreted as suggesting a mechanism of tolerance in the dam. Cannabis exposure limited to 19 days prior to mating in either males or females did not produce marked post-natal effects in offspring but, in both cases, the resulting litters contained twice as many males as females.