Researchers warn that teenage girls who smoke marijuana can permanently damage their fertility.
A University of California, Irvine (UCI) study found that female rats exposed to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in the drug, had 50 percent fewer healthy ovarian follicles by the time they became adults than a control group. .
Researchers believe that the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is triggered by marijuana use, damages the follicles or causes them to fire too quickly, leading to exhaustion.
Researchers fear that marijuana use is now popular among teens across America, that many young women are unintentionally hurting their future child prospects.
While the latest study was done on rats, a separate study found that pregnant women who use cannabis are at an increased risk of birth defects, miscarriages, and stillbirths.
Dr Ulrike Lüderer, lead author of the study and professor of environmental health at UCI, said: “With more and more adolescents and young adults using cannabis, especially those with easy access to the substance, the results of this study are especially important. It is critical that we publicize the effects of cannabis exposure on adult reproductive health.
Experts warn that about 3.3 million American teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 use cannabis.
THC, the chemical contained in this drug, has been legalized for recreational purposes in 21 US states and the District of Columbia.
A study published late last year by the Oregon Health and Science University found that cannabis use among American teenagers increased by 245% from 2000 to 2020.
There aren’t many studies on the potential harms of widespread cannabis use.
Early signs point to many of the negative long-term effects of drug use, including heart problems, cognitive problems, and decreased IQ.
And in November, researchers found that marijuana use increased the risk of developing the deadly heart disease, atrial fibrillation, by more than 30%.
Now a UCI study has shown that young women, in particular, may be putting themselves at risk through drug use.
The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Toxicological Sciences, injected mice around 30 days of age with THC daily for two weeks.
These mice are considered juvenile, reaching maturity at about three months of age.
When the mice were 70 days old, the researchers checked the number of primordial follicles in the ovaries.
Like mice, women are born with ovaries throughout their lives. And a decrease in the number of eggs significantly reduces her chances of getting pregnant in the future.
They found that mice exposed to THC had half as many follicles as other mice of the same age.
This was true at all stages of ovarian development, meaning that mice exposed to the drug were generally less fertile than their peers.
Dr. Daniel Piomeli, study co-author and UCI professor of anatomy and neuroscience, said: “Our results provide new, unexpected insight into the long-term effects of THC on reproductive function and aging. We hope that our results will motivate teenage girls. to make more informed decisions about whether or not to eat hemp products.
This is not the first study to link THC use to poor fertility.
And a 2018 study found that men who smoke cannabis have lower sperm counts than their peers.
Source: Daily Mail
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