Marijuana Use May Alter Your DNA Methylation – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

A study by Northwestern Medicine links recent and long-term marijuana use to changes in the human epigenome. The research identified significant epigenetic changes through observing DNA methylation markers. While the study does not establish causal relationships, it sets the stage for further research into marijuana’s epigenetic impact and its potential health effects.

Recent and long-term marijuana use is linked to changes in the human epigenome, a new Northwestern Medicine study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry has found.

Marijuana ranks as the most widely used drug in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that approximately 48.2 million people, which constitutes around 18% of all Americans, had used marijuana at least once in 2019. This is the most recent year for which data is available.

Despite its prevalent use and legalization in several states, the health consequences of marijuana use are not well understood, according to Lifang Hou, MD, PhD, chief of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention in the Department of Preventive Medicine and senior author of the study.

Drew Nannini, DO, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Hou lab, was first author of the study published in Molecular Psychiatry. Credit: Northwestern Medicine

“Despite its growing popularity, as well as recent legalization by several states, the effect of marijuana on epigenetic factors has not been well studied,” said Hou, who is also Director of…