Marijuana may damage oocytes — unfertilised eggs in female ovaries — in ways researchers worry may lead to infertility, miscarriage and possible genetic defects in babies , new research has found.

Higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — a chemical in marijuana that produces a euphoric feeling or "high" — was linked with changes in how eggs mature and a possible increase in chromosome malformations, according to the study published in the journal Nature Communications.

"The findings of this study are concerning and highlight the importance of a cautious approach in using cannabis when planning to conceive," obstetrician Dr Jamie Lo, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynaecology and urology in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, said

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