What’s the story
A recent study has found that cannabis use can leave a lasting mark on the human body, not in the DNA code itself, but in the way that code is written.
The research, conducted by US scientists and published in Molecular Psychiatry, suggests that cannabis may lead to changes in the epigenome.
This is a complex system of switches that activate or deactivate genes responsible for various bodily functions.
Study examined data from long-term health study
The study looked at data from a long-term health study that followed around 1,000 adults for two decades.
The participants, aged between 18 and 30 when the study began, were asked about their cannabis use over time and provided blood samples after 15 years and again after another five years.
The researchers examined these samples for DNA methylation levels, an important type of epigenetic change associated with environmental exposures like cannabis use.
Several markers linked to cannabis use
The study found a number of DNA methylation markers in the 15-year blood samples, with 22 linked to recent cannabis use and 31 to cumulative use.
In the 20-year samples, they found even more markers, 132 for recent use and 16 for cumulative use.
One of these markers was also linked to tobacco use, hinting at possible shared epigenetic regulation between tobacco and marijuana consumption.
Changes associated with cannabis use linked to these conditions
The study also found several epigenetic changes associated with cannabis use that were previously linked to cellular proliferation, hormone signaling, infections, neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as substance use disorders.
However, it’s important to note that this research does not establish a direct causal relationship between cannabis and these health issues.
Further studies are needed to confirm these findings across different populations and examine marijuana’s impact on age-related health outcomes.