New Research Warns of Female Fertility Risks From Marijuana Use

Researchers found that cannabis use may interfere with egg health, raising the risk of failed fertilization or unhealthy embryo.
New Research Warns of Female Fertility Risks From Marijuana Use
A worker removes leaves from marijuana plants to allow more light for growth at Essence Vegas's 54,000-sq-ft marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Bill Pan
Bill Pan
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Exposure to marijuana could affect the health of a woman’s eggs and raise the risk of genetic problems in embryos, a new study suggests.

In a study published on Tuesday in Nature Communications, researchers at a Canadian fertility clinic found that higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the main compound in cannabis that produces a “high”—may interfere with how eggs mature, possibly leading to chromosomal errors that can cause birth defects.