Research into the workings of the endocannabinoid system has yielded significant discoveries for scientists attempting to learn more about pre and post-natal development.

It is apparent that endocannabinoids, chemical compounds produced in the body that are similar to the psychoactive ingredients in marijuana, act as a catalyst for early embryonic development and development thereafter into maturity. The same compounds have also been found at incredibly high concentrations in maternal breast milk, suggesting that cannabinoids are more important to our successful growth than was ever thought before.

All Humans Are Born With Cannabinoid Receptors

The European Journal of Pharmacology published an article back in 2004 that claimed the messenger RNA of CB1 (the abbreviation for a group of specialized proteins known as cannabinoid receptors) can be found in the human embryo just fourteen weeks after gestation. Subsequently in the 20th week, growth of cannabinoid receptor activity in several areas of the brain starts to accelerate at a rapid rate. Observation of the embryo at this stage indicates that the cannabinoid receptors are functional and active during this early stage of development.

“Endocannabinoids and their receptors are abundantly present from the early developmental stages, and are therefore likely to be important in the maturation of the nervous system and its functions.”

Earlier studies proved that two endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, are both present in the early stages of a human embryo. Anandamide has been proven to start out in low concentrations in the embryonic stage, gradually increasing throughout time until the eventual levels that we reach in maturity are attained.

Interestingly enough, it is exactly the opposite for 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, which starts at its highest concentration levels in the embryo and gradually decreases over time.

Endocannabinoid Production in Human Breast Milk

The discovery of endocannabinoid production in human breast milk is certainly another nail in the coffin for those who subscribe to the theory that marijuana belongs in the same category as other class-1 narcotics. The occurrence and role of cannabinoids in breast milk has been the subject of multiple studies, and it is the belief of researchers that cannabinoids play an integral role in how babies learn to latch onto their mother’s nipple for sustenance.

It is theorized that, since cannabinoid activity has already been proven to be linked with appetite stimulation in adults, cannabinoids in breast milk are what first stimulate a nursing baby’s appetite. Cannabinoids, combined with other nutrients in breast milk, also provide the newborn with protection from viruses, bacteria, and cancer causing factors. This means that cannabinoids are quite literally essential in the development of infants.

These types of findings make the continued prohibition of marijuana seem utterly ludicrous. Cannabinoids are an integral part of our development and well-being from the time we are in our mother’s wombs, throughout the entirety of our lives. Their presence in a mother’s breast milk jump starts the newborn’s appetite for the first time (this process can be seen in a different scenario when adults smoke marijuana and get the munchies). The health benefits that cannabinoids offer can be seen time and time again; whether it’s in the developing nervous system of an unborn child, the breast milk of a nursing mother, or even in a chemistry of a simple plant.