ADOLESCENT NICOTINE AND CANNABINOID EXPOSURE ON NICOTINE DEPENDENCE

Tobacco addiction imposes a significant negative impact on the health and economic status of the individual and society. This research proposal will investigate whether exposure to nicotine or cannabinoids during youth alters later drug taking and relapse-related behaviors in adulthood. Together, these data may reveal fundamental insights into the effects of adolescent drug use on vulnerability to develop tobacco/nicotine addiction later in adulthood. By establishing this model, future investigations may thus identify the mechanisms underlying nicotine reinforcement and dependence, and importantly, may lead to the development of novel therapeutics efficacious for smoking cessation in humans.