Marijuana’s active ingredient was linked to higher rates of chromosomal abnormality in early embryos, according to new research, potentially providing new insight into the link between cannabis use and female fertility.

The new paper , published Tuesday in Nature Communications, showed that the presence of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, was associated with lower rates of embryos that contain the correct number of chromosomes. Separately, exposing immature egg cells to THC disrupted their ability to sort chromosomes.

The paper was based on two studies, both conducted by the same research team in Toronto. The first, a lab study, exposed oocytes, or immature human egg cells, to THC and measured their chromosomal development. The second, a retrospective study that used real-world data from

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