THC Use During Pregnancy and Fetal Epigenetic Changes
A July 2023 Clinical Epigenetics study found that THC exposure during pregnancy alters DNA methylation patterns in the developing fetus. Epigenetic changes — chemical marks that change how genes are expressed without altering the DNA sequence — can persist after birth and may influence long-term development, including neurological and immune function.
This finding adds to a body of evidence showing prenatal cannabis exposure is not benign. The framing of "natural" or "safer than alcohol" cannabis use during pregnancy is increasingly unsupported by the underlying biology.
This page is a draft. The full writeup will cover which genes were affected, the dose-response, and what current obstetric guidelines say.