Giving medical cannabis to infants is a difficult taboo to shift, but new research is paving the way. The launch of a clinical trial examining the use of CBD in newborns suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (brain damage caused by lack of oxygen) means new hope for the million plus babies born each year with this condition. These infants are often left severely disabled, and many die.
There is little evidence to show a directly harmful effect of cannabis in pregnancy. However, cannabinoids consistently amplify the toxic effects of nicotine and alcohol on the fetus. Preclinical research suggests one possible reason: activating the CB2 receptor with anandamide can decrease the expression of a transporter gene in the placenta. This gene encodes a protein which pumps a variety of chemicals out of the placenta, so its inhibition allows toxins to accumulate. It is also common in cancers where it protects the cancer from chemo.
By the Editors of Reader’s Digest & Project CBD: Everything You Need to Know About What It Helps, Where to Buy It, and How to Take It.
