What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: THC.

Where was this research published?

Published in Cannabis and cannabinoid research on October 7, 2026.

Rat model links THC vapor exposure with altered pregnancy and pup growth

Q: What did this research study find?

Compared with vehicle controls, *THC* vapor exposure was associated with **reduced maternal food intake and shorter gestation** in rats.

Advancing a Pre-Clinical Model of Full-Term Prenatal Exposure to Vaporized Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research • October 7, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This study asked whether THC vapor reaches offspring brains and affects pregnancy and early growth in a rat model designed to represent full-term prenatal exposure. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received daily THC vapor or vehicle; exposure continued through gestation and until postnatal day 10, when pups were also exposed directly. Compared with controls, THC-exposed dams ate less and had shorter pregnancies. Offspring birth weights did not differ, but their postnatal weights were lower.

The researchers also measured THC and its metabolites in maternal and offspring samples. They found that THC transferred from dams to fetal brains during gestation, and THC and its metabolite 11-OH-THC were detected in pup brains at both sampling points. The authors present this rat model as a tool for studying longer-term effects on offspring brain development and behavior. This is an abstract-based summary: because the study is in rats and includes direct postnatal pup exposure, it cannot establish the effects of prenatal vaping in humans or isolate prenatal exposure from postnatal exposure.

💡 Key Findings

Compared with vehicle controls, THC vapor exposure was associated with reduced maternal food intake and shorter gestation in rats.

High

80%

Offspring birth weights were not different between groups, while postnatal weights were lower in the THC-exposed group.

High

80%

THC transferred from dams to fetal brains during gestation; THC and 11-OH-THC were also detected in pup brains at the reported sampling points.

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90%

📄 Original Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Use of cannabinoid vape products during pregnancy is a major public health concern. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, is rapidly absorbed after inhalation and transferred to the fetal brain. We developed a novel model of prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE) comprising THC vapor exposure across the human-equivalent full-term prenatal period in rats. This study examined gestational/parturitional outcomes and the distribution and metabolism of THC in maternal and filial blood and brains using this model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to THC (200 mg/mL, n = 13) or vehicle (100% propylene glycol, n = 8) vapor daily during gestation until postnatal day (PD) 10 (i.e., human-equivalent full-term). Pups were exposed directly in the postnatal period. Gestational/parturitional assessments included dam food intake, dam and pup body weights, total gestation days, litter size, and sex ratio. Subsets of THC-exposed dams and pups were sampled immediately postvapor on gestational day (GD) 20 (n = 4 dams, 24 pups) or PD 10 (n = 2 dams, 33 pups) to quantify THC and its metabolites (11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [11-OH-THC], and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THCCOOH]) concentrations in the brain (dams and pups) and plasma (dams). RESULTS: THC decreased dam food intake and total gestation days compared to controls. THC concentrations in dam plasma and brain were 14.8 ± 47.8 ng/mL and 80.5 ± 38.6 ng/g on GD 20 and 68.9 ± 25.0 ng/mL and 125.0 ± 4.2 ng/g on PD 10. Birth weights were not different between THC-exposed offspring and controls, but postnatal weights were decreased. On GD 20, fetal brain THC, 11-OH-THC, and THCCOOH concentrations were 12 ± 5%, 118 ± 7%, and 75 ± 34% of maternal plasma. On PD 10, pup brain THC and 11-OH-THC concentrations were 29.6 ± 8.5 and 9.8 ± 2.1 ng/g. THCCOOH was not detected in PD 10 pup brain. DISCUSSION: THC readily transferred from dams to pup brains during gestation in our full-term vapor exposure model. High THC and 11-OH-THC concentrations were detected in pup brains at both timepoints. This novel model is a valuable tool to investigate long-term effects of full-term PCE on offspring brain development and behavior.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Cannabis and cannabinoid research
Published: October 7, 2026
PMID: 42844722
DOI: 10.1177/25785125261493191

Authors (7)

Bryan W Jenkins Division of Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Catherine F Moore Division of Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Praachi Tiwari Division of Behavioral Biology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Aron H Lichtman Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Justin L Poklis Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
+2 more authors