Marijuana Use Affects Your DNA

Despite a growing number of states legalizing marijuana, we’re still learning about its effects on our health. A recent study suggests cannabis use changes our epigenome.  Those are chemical changes to the bases that make up DNA, that mark the genome in a way that tells it what, where, and when to do something. Each cell has unique epigenetic marks that are not inherent to DNA but can be passed from cell to cell, and one generation to the next.   

A common DNA change in the epigenome is to its methyl groups. These methylation changes happen when we’re exposed to certain environments or lifestyles. For example, during World War two’s Nazi occupation, people who endured the starvation of the Dutch Hunger Winter developed changes to their epigenomes that hurt their and their children’s health.  

Researchers in this study on marijuana’s impact on epigenome studied more than1,000 blood samples collected from people who were followed for two decades. Blood had been drawn at 15 and 20 years, and people were asked about their marijuana use.  When analyzed, the blood showed epigenetic changes associated with recent or long-term use of marijuana.  The changes were in genes involved in cell proliferation, hormone signaling, and infections as well as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance-use related disorders.   

Future studies can confirm these links and what impact marijuana has on our health.