Marijuana and Spice May Cause Damage in Early Pregnancy

Marijuana and Spice May Cause Damage in Early Pregnancy Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Print Marijuana and Spice Use Can Affect an Embryos Brain By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on April 25, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on August 16, 2019 PhotoAlto/Sigrid Olsson/Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Marijuana Cocaine Heroin Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Smoking todays high-potency marijuana or using synthetic forms of weed  can be dangerous during pregnancy. Researchers suggest that it may damage the developing embryos brain as early as two weeks after conception. For this reason, if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, you might want to avoid smoking pot. Earlier studies which showed no adverse effects of smoking marijuana for pregnant women were conducted with smokers of traditional marijuana, according to researchers at Texas AM University. But todays strains of bioengineered weed can contain up to 20 times more THC. Furthermore, the fake weed products known as K2 or Spice  contain highly potent TCH analogs or synthetic cannabinoids. These are 500 to 600 times more potent than THC. Brain Damage to Fetus The Texas AM research study also found that when the extremely potent drugs are used during early pregnancy, it can lead to a condition called anencephaly. This causes the babies to be born without large parts of their brain or skull. Additionally, exposure to high-potency marijuana or synthetic marijuana during pregnancy can lead to: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)Learning disabilitiesMemory problems in toddlers and 10-year-oldsAggression, anxiety, and depression in teens Hidden Dangers Quite simply, young smokers are not often aware of these dangers. A sexually active woman may be smoking marijuana or synthetics and not immediately know when she becomes pregnant. Study co-author Dr. Delphine Psychoyos notes, These psychoactive chemicals have the ability to interfere with the first stages in the formation of the brain of the fetus; this event occurs two weeks after conception, earlier than before signs of pregnancy appear. She says that it may already be too late to prevent the effects of these substances on the unborn child by the time a woman realizes she is pregnant and stops taking them. Not Your Mothers THC Dr. Psychoyos notes that many pro-marijuana advocacy and pregnancy websites base their discussions on data collected prior to 1997 when no detrimental effects on pregnancy had been reported. But those studies reflected the impact of the low-potency marijuana that was common on the market in the 1970s and 1980s. A Variety of Cognitive Impairments With Exposure Dr. Psychoyos study is not the only one that has linked prenatal exposure to marijuana and synthetic marijuana to effects on the brain. After various states  legalized medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, research has increased significantly into the possible danger of smoking while pregnant. One study found that long-term and heavy marijuana use during pregnancy could impair brain maturation and predispose the offspring to neurodevelopmental disorders. Another study with laboratory animals found that marijuana use during pregnancy caused a variety of cognitive impairments in offspring. Yet another study found that exposure to marijuana and synthetic derivatives (designer drugs) during pregnancy could account for connectivity deficits during cortical development. In other words, it can cause what researchers termed a dis-jointed brain. The researchers suggest that teenagers and young women need to be more aware of the dangers and health risks of high potency marijuana and fake weed if they are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.