Weed affects the epigenome
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https://www.sciencealert.com/cannabis-use-linked-to-epigenetic-changes-scientists-discover
"We observed associations between cumulative marijuana use and multiple epigenetic markers across time," says Lifang Hou, a preventative medical doctor and epidemiologist from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Using these blood samples from five years apart, Hou and her team looked at the epigenetic changes, specifically DNA methylation levels, of people who had used cannabis recently or for a long time.
The addition or removal of methyl groups from DNA is one of the most studied epigenetic modifications. Without changing the genomic sequence, it changes the activity of genes, because it's harder for cells to read the genome instruction manual with these molecular changes in their way.
Environmental and lifestyle factors can trigger these methylation changes, which can be passed onto future generations, and blood biomarkers can provide information about both recent and historical exposures.
"We previously identified associations between marijuana use and the aging process as captured through DNA methylation," Hou says.
