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Using marijuana shortly before or after conception prevents the embryo from implanting in the uterus and can lead to ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, warns the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Normally, after the egg is fertilized, the dividing embryo begins to move along the tube toward the uterus. Once in its cavity, it is implanted (inserted) into the mucous membrane. The main ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), disrupts this process, scientists from Vanderbilt University found after conducting a study on mice.

In the experiments, Haibin Wang and his colleagues injected female mice with various substances - THC, other marijuana components, or a placebo - for four to five days. The drugs were administered during the period between fertilization of the egg and implantation of the embryo in the uterine lining.

The results of the study showed that none of the females given THC had an embryo implant in the uterus. In animals given other substances or a placebo, conception was not impaired, the scientists reported.

According to the researchers, this process is based on the ability of THC to interact with CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are present in various cells of the human body and are also present in the embryo.

During normal conception, a substance produced in the female's body, anandamide, attaches to the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the embryo. When THC is administered, it binds to these receptors, taking the "legitimate place" of anandamide. As a result, an excess amount of free (unbound) anandamide accumulates in the body. Excess of this substance disrupts the normal development of the embryo, its transport and implantation in the uterine mucosa. As a result, an ectopic pregnancy may occur, when the embryo develops not in the uterus, but in the tube or ovary.

This condition is very dangerous and requires urgent surgical intervention, as it can be complicated by massive bleeding.

Although the experiments were conducted on animals, the results "have great clinical implications" for women, Wang said. Future research will show whether a similar process occurs in the human body, but scientists are already warning that women who want to become pregnant should avoid using marijuana.

MedPortal