Smoking marijuana causes genetic mutations? – Comedy.com

With marijuana legalized in some states, nearly half of Americans have reportedly smoked it at least once. As concerns grow over the potential health risks of marijuana, a study suggests that marijuana could affect future generations through genetic modification.

A study published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests that cannabis use can alter the human epigenome, which functions like a set of switches that turn genes on or off to alter bodily functions.

Researchers at Northwestern University in the United States studied 1,000 adults who took part in a long-term study that asked questions about their marijuana use over a 20-year period. The study participants provided blood samples twice, at 15 and 20 years. The researchers analyzed the blood samples to look at epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation levels, in people who had recently or long-term marijuana use.

Adding or removing methyl groups from DNA is one of the most studied epigenetic modifications. Environmental and lifestyle factors can trigger these methylation changes, which can be passed on to future generations. Blood biomarkers can provide information about recent and past exposures.

The researchers analyzed comprehensive data on the participants’ cannabis use to estimate cumulative and recent use over time and compared this to DNA methylation markers in their blood.

In the blood samples taken at year 15, the researchers found a number of DNA methylation markers, 22 of which were associated with recent use and 31 with cumulative cannabis use. In the blood samples taken at year 20, they identified 132 markers associated with recent use and 16 associated with cumulative use.

Several epigenetic changes associated with cannabis use have been linked to cell proliferation, hormonal signaling, infections, neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. However, this study did not prove that cannabis directly causes these changes or causes health problems.

“This study provides new insights into the link between marijuana use and epigenetic factors,” said Dr. Drew Nanini, an epidemiologist at Northwestern University.