The present report addresses several gaps in the literature. First, while numerous other studies have reported that parental drug abuse and dependence is a risk factor for offspring licit and illicit drug abuse/dependence, affective disorders and conduct disorder, to our knowledge the present report is novel in demonstrating that familial vulnerability associated with maternal marijuana abuse/dependence and depression is associated with comorbidity among offspring disorders, and a suggestion of specificity of transmission for major depression in particular from mother to child. Second, measured early environmental factors such as parenting practices and childhood trauma are associated with offspring comorbidity even after accounting for familial risk. Third, our report suggests there are both generalized and specific influences of measured environmental risk on subtypes of comorbid psychopathology.
