She and her many collaborators study cannabis effects in rats, human fetal tissue and children, conducting experiments with the rats and tissue and then structuring epidemiological studies with children. Fetal exposure to THC results inevitably when a pregnant woman uses marijuana. Fetal exposure in rats, according to Hurd’s research, causes “low motivation, depression-like traits and increased sensitivity to stress" in the animals once fully grown. Hurd then collaborated with Dr. Yoko Nomura to follow more than 700 children whose mothers had used marijuana during pregnancy. “Increased hyperactivity and heightened anxiety and aggression” was associated with fetal THC exposure as they reached ages 3-6.

Source: CNN September 08, 2023 16:55 UTC