NEW: The Dangers of Smoking Marijuana Before Getting Pregnant

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Wednesday, June 06, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Health Team

Mothers that use marijuana, even years before they have children, may put their kids at a higher risk of drug abuse, new research suggests.

A study conducted by researchers in the Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology section of Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has shown this effect in lab rats. Adolescent rats were administered a cannabinoid receptor that has similar effects on the brain as THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

The rats where left untreated after this brief exposure until they were mated as adults. The male offspring of these rats where then compared against a control group for their preference between chambers filled with either saline or morphine.

The rats whose mothers were exposed to the cannabinoid receptor were significantly more likely to opt for the morphine-paired chamber than those with mothers who were not exposed. The results suggest that these rats, because of their mother's exposure, have an increased preference for opiate drugs

The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmocology and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

"Our main interest lies in determining whether substances commonly used during adolescence can induce behavioral and neurochemical changes that may then influence the development of future generations," Research Assistant Professor John J. Byrnes said. "We acknowledge that we are using rodent models, which may not fully translate to the human condition. Nevertheless, the results suggest that maternal drug use, even prior to pregnancy, can impact future offspring."