Interference with the endocannabinoid system during different stages of development can have far reaching effects. Adolescence and young adulthood are critical phases for cerebral development. During this period of neuronal plasticity, there is sprouting and pruning of synapses, myelinization, changes in neurotransmitter concentrations and their receptor levels in brain areas necessary for behavioral and cognitive functions [186]. This is also the time that exposure to cannabis typically starts. In this issue, Schneider and Justras-Aswad et al. discuss the effects of early cannabis exposure in animals and humans, respectively.
