A recent study has found that the use of cannabis can have a negative impact on female fertility, particularly on the success of IVF treatments. The Canadian research highlights that THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, can disrupt the development and stability of the egg cell. This affects the IVF process where the egg and sperm cells are combined in a lab. The study involved over 1,000 women undergoing IVF, with 62 testing positive for THC. The THC-positive patients showed a significantly lower rate of genetically healthy embryos, thus reducing the chance of a successful pregnancy and healthy child. The study suggests that THC alters the activity of genes in the egg cell, affecting the correct distribution of genetic material during cell division and influencing the extracellular matrix which stabilizes cells and is crucial for embryo implantation and development. German experts have called for further research into these findings.