According to new research the use of marijuana when a woman is trying to conceive or has just become pregnant, is not recommended as it endangers the passage of the embryo from the ovary to the uterus and can result in a failed pregnancy.
The researchers from Vanderbilt University say a study with mice has shown that marijuana exposure may compromise the pregnancy outcome as an active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), interferes with a fertilized egg's ability to implant in the lining of the uterus.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug among women of reproductive age; it binds together two cannabinoid receptors which are found in the brain and other organs including sperm, eggs, and newly formed embryos.
As a rule these 2 receptors are activated by a naturally occurring signaling molecule, anandamide, which is carefully balanced by an enzyme resulting in a finely tuned local "anandamide tone" in embryos and the oviduct.
This balance is needed for normal embryonic development, transport along the oviduct, implantation in the uterus, and full-term pregnancy.
For the study, Sudhansu Dey, a professor of pediatrics, cell and developmental biology and pharmacology, and colleagues demonstrated that the suppression of this enzyme activity in the embryos and oviduct elevates anandamide levels, which then inhibits the entire process, causing impaired fertility.