Nashville, TN: The endocannabinoid system plays a significant role in the development of
healthy embryos and their implantation in the womb, according to preclinical data published
this month, August 2006, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. 

Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee reported that experimentally inducing
elevated amounts of the endogenous cannabinoid anadamide and/or THC in newly mated mice
"deferred on-time [embryo] implantation" and was associated with "poor pregnancy outcome."

Previous preclinical studies investigating the role of endogenous cannabinoids in prenatal
development have shown that the body temporarily reduces the localized production of
anadamide during embryonal implantation. Though some researchers speculate that smoking
large quantities of cannabis during this period could negatively impact this biological
process, there is - to date - a lack of clinical or epidemiological data supporting the theory.

"Nevertheless, it is apparent that a properly functioning endocannabinoid system is essential
for both a healthy pregnancy and child," NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said.

Previous studies indicate that the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a primary role in the
development of memory and oral motor skills in newborns. Some researchers theorize that a
dysfunctional endocannabinoid system (such as one that under produces anandamide) may be
responsible for the development of certain abnormalities in infants - particularly so-called
'failure-to-thrive' syndrome, a condition in which newborns fail to properly grow and gain
weight. In preclinical trials, infant mice fail to feed from their mothers when their
cannabinoid receptors are blocked by the presence of a synthetic antagonist.

In recent years, scientists have determined that the endocannabinoid receptor system is
involved in the regulation of several primary biological functions including appetite, body
temperature, mood elevation, blood pressure, bone density, reproductive activity, learning
capacity, and motor coordination.

Full text of the study, "Fatty acid amide hydrolase deficiency limits early pregnancy
events," appears in the August 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.