Cannabis may lead to developmental problems and miscarriage

New experiments showed that smoking cannabis in early pregnancies could cause many problems like miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and developmental abnormalities.

These problems may occur due to the present of THC, the chemical in cannabis that gives the high. This chemical may change the balance of natural signaling molecules in the reproductive systems that regulate development and implantation of the embryo in the womb.

In the experiment, nine pregnant mice were injected with THC and then killed to see what happens to the embryos. The results showed that all the embryos were stopped in the oviduct, the tube linking the ovary to the uterus, and could not proceed to the uterus. This resembles human ectopic pregnancy in which an embryo implants elsewhere instead of the uterus. Those mice who didn’t receive the chemical had normal pregnancies.
Besides implanting elsewhere, the embryos of the mice given the THC, had more cell abnormalities, which means that developmental problem could occur and lead to miscarriage.

Men are not protected from the cannabis harm. Previous researchers showed that men who smoked cannabis produced less semen and had less sperm.

I'd be interested in seeing the data that proves this claim.

I'm guessing that there is NO evidence for this judgement (because it certainly isn't a statement of fact).

I'm always amused when someone says something such as this.

The anecdotal evidence to the contrary however, is vast.

Think about this (yes, i'm afraid you do occasionally have to actually think for yourselves), when was the period in our recent history when cannabis usage was most widespread...the 60's and 70's. OK, now do the research on baby boomers, and on birthrates, and miscarriage rates for those two decades. Now factor in advances in antenatal and postnatal medical care since those two decades.

You will see that there is no drop in the average numbers, in fact the reverse is so.

So the obvious question is this:

If the original poster's 'judgement' is correct, how does one expain that birth rates / miscarriage rates / anomoly rates etc have no marked increase, whilst cannabis use had rocketted?

It's fairly easy to explain actually...at least it is to people who actually think for themselves, and don't rely on a daily diet of alarmist propoganda.

Sounds about right, I'm with ya 99%...but I wouldn't take any chances. I mean, on the odd side that it actually does harm to reproductive systems and normal birth, I wouldn't want to take a chace to screw up someone's life on Earth. After all, I'd prefer to have a son/daugther to smoke with on their graduation from university than a bad memory of an abortion.

I am a pot baby, back in the early 70's they didn't think marijuana was bad.

I would bet that more than 10% of the children born in the late 60's and early 70's were pot babies.

I am not suggesting that anyone smokes pot while pregnant, but many teens and early twenties mothers would look at this article and think. "Maybe I should abort".

My Mother was 16 when she had me, and yea life was a bit rough for a year or two. But I was in the top 10% of my class for my BS and both my MS degrees. I love my life, and as far as I know beyond a tendency to enjoy marijuana I have no other ill side effects.

I looked up the research and it's actually not THC it's a different alkiloid that is released from burning the cannabis that they injected. I don't know for a fact, but it's probably not even a natural part of the plant. You do all realise that most research centers are still using nasty chemically weed that is high in carcinagins. I bet the results of these poorly done experements would be much different if they were using healthy homegrown weed. Not to mention they killed the mice? Not sure that's a normal part of a healthy pregnency. I personally wouldn't smoke in the first trimester, but lets make sure we all think for ourselves and get facts not opinions. peace, love, and ganja to all.