Marijuana, also called cannabis, is becoming more popular in the United States.
Many states have made it legal to use, and in 2019, nearly 48.2 million Americans—about 18% of the population—said they used marijuana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Even though more people are using marijuana, we still don’t know everything about how it affects our health. A new study from Northwestern Medicine looked at how marijuana might impact our DNA.
Marijuana comes from the Cannabis sativa plant. People often smoke it in joints or bongs, but it can also be brewed as tea or added to food.
As marijuana use grows, people want to know more about what it does to our bodies over time. That’s what this study aimed to explore.
The study was led by Dr. Lifang Hou, a cancer researcher. Her team analyzed blood samples from over 900 adults who had taken part in a heart health study.
These people had given blood samples five years apart. The researchers also asked them how much marijuana they used during that time—both recently and over their lifetime.
The team then looked at their DNA to see if there were any changes.
They found that marijuana use was linked to something called DNA methylation. This is when small chemical groups attach to your DNA and can turn genes on or off. The researchers found between 16 and 132 genetic markers that were connected to marijuana use.
Many of these markers were in parts of the DNA that control things like cell growth, hormone levels, and the immune system. Some of the changes were also linked to mental health issues like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and drug addiction.
It’s important to understand that this study doesn’t prove marijuana causes these DNA changes. It only shows a possible connection that needs to be studied more.
Still, the results suggest that marijuana may affect how our genes work, which could impact our health. Future research will help us learn more about what these DNA changes mean and how they might affect diseases like heart problems or mental illness.
This study also shows that not everyone may be affected the same way. A person’s genetics or lifestyle could make a difference.
As marijuana becomes easier to get and more people use it, understanding its effects becomes more important. While some studies show possible benefits—like easing depression or protecting the brain as we age—this new research reminds us that marijuana may also have complex and unknown effects.
The Northwestern Medicine study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, is a step toward better understanding marijuana’s long-term impact. With more studies, we can learn about both the risks and benefits, helping people make informed decisions.
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