Recreational marijuana is now legal in plenty of places, including right here in Alaska. The legalization of cannabis probably isn't a trend that's going away. There are questions about the long-term effects of cannabis (other than cravings for pizza and Twinkies) and whether those effects are more or less dire than legal substances like tobacco and alcohol.
But a recent study in the journal "Nature" has yielded one startling result: If you want to have kids, don't get high, because cannabis can have a bad effect on human oocytes - egg cells. The study's abstract states in part:
Cannabis consumption and legalization is increasing globally, raising concerns about its impact on fertility. In humans, we previously demonstrated that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its metabolites reach the ovarian follicle. An extensive body of literature describes THC’s impact on sperm, however no such studies have determined its effects on the oocyte. Herein, we investigate the impact of THC on human female fertility through both a clinical and in vitro analysis.
Granted, this is a very complex study that requires a good grounding in cell biology, reproductive biology and genetics to really get a handle on. But to sum it up, there are two main areas in which cannabis can cause problems: Oocyte maturation and chromosome segregation.
First, oocyte maturation is (to put it very broadly) the meiotic process by which a parent cell divides twice, forming four daughter cells, each containing one-half of the chromosomes of the parent cell. This is a primary step in gamete development in males and females. Oocyte maturation is the overall progress of this process, essential for ovulation and fertilization of an oocyte. Premature maturation or incomplete maturation can render the oocyte inviable.
Second, chromosome segregation is the "unzipping" of a chromosome, partitioning a parent cell into two daughter cells. This is driven by a subcellular, microtubule structure called a spindle, and it is necessary for the proper production of viable daughter cells in both mitosis (the ordinary division of body cells) and meiosis (the production of gametes, or sex cells).
Cannabis, it seems, can have a significant effect on these processes.
If you want a deeper dive, here's a map of the process from the Nature article:
Some highlights: THC can have an adverse effect on oocyte chromosome transcription, it can be harmful to potential oocytes in chromosome segregation, and can even result in euploidy, which is a daughter cell having some multiple of the normal chromosome count.
None of those are good, and this study indicates that THC can have an effect; the conclusion states that it is a significant effect.
Herein, our findings reveal significant effects on oocyte maturation, transcriptomic profiles, meiotic spindle organization, and oocyte ploidy. Collectively, this data presents compelling evidence that cannabis consumption may negatively impact female fertility. Our integrated and multi-faceted in vitro approach, utilizing multiple techniques and endpoints to assess chromosome segregation, is a major strength of this study. However, it was limited by the usage of immature GV oocytes following ovarian hyperstimulation, which are considered suboptimal for reproductive purposes, since they did not mature following initial stimulation.
This is some interesting work, even if you're not a biologist. I'm not convinced it's a greater risk than the cancer risk from excessive tobacco use, but it is a risk, one that goes beyond a desire to lie around one's parents' basement all day sucking on a bong and eating Fritos and Ding-Dongs.
Read More: Camarillo Cannabis Farm Co-Founder Donated 10K to Governor Gavin Newsom
So, what's the tl;dr (too long; didn't read) version?
If you want kids, don't get high.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!