A Little THC Goes a Long Way
A chemical similar to the active ingredient in cannabis might aid embryo implantation in the uterus.
But the author of a study focusing on a cannabinoid-like substance is quick to emphasize that this does not mean smoking pot will help women get pregnant. In fact, the opposite is likely true.
At very low levels, anandamide, a naturally occurring compound in humans that is similar to cannabinoids, seemed to help mouse embryos implant into the uterus. But at levels four times higher, it had the opposite effect -- it inhibited implantation.
"Some reports show that when the levels of anandamide go up in the system they have pregnancy losses," said Sudhansu Dey, a researcher at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. "So I think that at higher levels these molecules may interfere with pregnancy."
Dey, who is a co-author of the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, said further research is necessary to determine when scientists might be able to test a cannabinoid fertility treatment on humans.
Read more at wired
