A team of scientists from the University of Western Australia (Australia) has discovered that cannabis use can alter the structure of a person’s DNA , causing genetic mutations that can expose them to serious diseases, and be transmitted to their children and future generations.
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Until now, the relationship between cannabis use and serious diseases such as cancer has been previously investigated but its long-term implications have not.
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After conducting an extensive analysis of all the research material on this field, they found that “cancer and disease, in general, were probably caused by cell mutations resulting from certain properties of cannabis that have a chemical interaction with the DNA of cannabis. a person, “says Stuart Reece, co-author of the work.
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Implications for future generations
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In addition, this damage could be transmitted to children: With the increase in cannabis use worldwide in recent years, it is clear that this will have an impact to take into account among the population. The most compelling thing the researchers comment on in their study is that even if the mother has never used cannabis in her entire life, mutations carried by the father’s sperm can cause serious and life-threatening illnesses in her children.
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This discovery exposes the serious consequences for future generations, especially considering that this change in the DNA structure produced by cannabis leads to slow cell growth and possible consequences for the fetal development of babies. “The worst types of cancer occur in the first years of life in infants exposed in utero to the effects of cannabis,” says Reece.
The research has been published in the journal Mutation Research.
