Credit: Unsplash+ Marijuana is becoming more accepted and widely used across the United States. About 18% of Americans — nearly 1 in 5 — have tried it, and in 2019, nearly 48.2 million people used it in some form.
Whether smoked in joints or bongs, brewed in tea, or mixed into food, marijuana is now the most commonly used drug in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Even as marijuana becomes more legal and popular, scientists still don’t fully understand what it does to the body over time. That’s why a team from Northwestern Medicine led by Dr. Lifang Hou decided to investigate its possible effects at a deeper level — inside our DNA.
Studying the Effects of Marijuana Use on DNA
The researchers looked at blood samples from more than 900 adults. These samples had been collected as part of a larger heart health study, with blood drawn five years apart. Participants were asked how often they used marijuana and how much they had used over their lifetimes.
The team then studied their DNA to look for a process called DNA methylation — a natural chemical change where tiny molecules attach to DNA and can switch certain genes on or off. These changes don’t rewrite your genes, but they can affect how your genes work.
What They Discovered
The researchers found that marijuana use was linked to clear changes in DNA methylation. In fact, they discovered between 16 and 132 DNA markers connected to marijuana use, depending on how heavily a person had used the drug.
Many of these changes were found in parts of the DNA related to: Cell growth Hormone activity Immune system responses Mental health conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use problems While these findings don’t prove that marijuana causes health problems, they suggest there may be long-term biological effects — even at the genetic level — from regular marijuana use. Why It Matters This study doesn’t show that marijuana use directly causes disease. It’s also unclear if these DNA changes lead to health issues later in life. However, the fact […]
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