New research shows that marijuana use may harm female fertility and increase chromosome errors.
The study published last month in Nature Communications looked at health data from women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Researchers found that THC — the main active substance in marijuana — can disrupt egg cell growth, alter important genes, and cause problems with chromosomes.
Women with THC in their system had fewer healthy embryos during IVF compared to women without THC, and eggs exposed to THC were more likely to develop chromosome errors.
This study adds to a growing body of research that shows marijuana is harmful to women and unborn children.
Unfortunately, marijuana use during pregnancy has been shown time and time again to hurt unborn children and newborns.
More generally, marijuana has been tied to a number of deadly heart problems — including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. In fact, researchers now say marijuana use doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease. Experts also have found heavy marijuana use is strongly linked to a 325% increased risk of oral cancer.
All of this should be significant to Arkansans, because marijuana industry insiders worked unsuccessfully to expand marijuana in Arkansas via the state’s ballot initiative process in 2022 and 2024. Fortunately, neither of those measures passed.
All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
