Selwyn Times: October 13, 2021

• By Chris Barclay
THE IMPACT of cannabis use
among expectant mothers is
the focus of ground-breaking
research led by a genetics expert
at Canterbury University.
Funded by the Canterbury
Medical Research Foundation,
the year-long study aims to determine
whether using the drug
during pregnancy can lead to
health effects already associated
with tobacco.
West Melton’s Dr Amy Osborne,
a senior lecturer in the
School of Biological Sciences, has
already established that heavy
cannabis use has an impact on
human DNA, with the effect
stronger in people who also
smoke cigarettes.
That research, published in
May last year, has been followed
by this US-inspired probe to discover
if a woman’s cannabis use
can alter their offspring’s DNA.
“We know smoking tobacco
during pregnancy is harmful,
but the problem is a lot of people
are using cannabis for morning
sickness because they think it’s
safe,” Osborne said.
“In the US it’s also being
used as an opioid replacement
therapy for pregnant women, a
replacement for hard and more
illicit drugs: ‘You’re not going
to do heroin while you’re
pregnant, but here, have some
cannabis’.”
Osborne said some of the
research Stateside assessing
the effects of cannabis use during
pregnancy revealed some
behavioural impacts similar to
tobacco.
Her latest study, which starts
this month, dovetails with DNA
data already available through
the Christchurch Health and Development
Study, an investigation
which started more than 40
years ago and originally included
1265 people.
Osborne has already sourced
DNA data from cannabis users
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
among that cohort, CMRF
backing worth $100,000 now
enables the Londoner and two
staff to access data from mothers
and their offspring held at the
University of Bristol in the
United Kingdom.
The UK data is vital because it
covers DNA from the parent and
their children because the CHDS
information doesn’t include the
parents.
“We can use the UK data to inform
what we’d be looking for in
the New Zealand cohort. We can
streamline what we’re looking
for so it means we’re more likely
to get a better idea of what’s happening
at the molecular level,”
Osborne said.
“In New Zealand our sample
sizes are a lot smaller so if
we want to statistically show
associations – and it’s all about
statistical power in genetics –
the more samples you have the
more likely you are to detect
something.”
Ultimately, Osborne would
like to develop a mine of information
from pregnant New
Zealanders.
NEWS 9
Expectant mums focus of cannabis use study
GROUND-
BREAKING: Dr
Amy Osborne is
able to study the
effect of cannabis
use by pregnant
women thanks
to funding from
the Canterbury
Medical Research
Foundation.
PHOTO: GEOFF
SLOAN ​
Wednesday October 13 2021 Selwyn Times
“It would be amazing. We
haven’t explored that as an option
yet but depending on what
we find it may be that’s naturally
where our research goes. Then
again that requires clinicians,
epidemiologists, nurses and a lot
of people recruiting as well,” she
said.
Osborne emphasised the study
was impartial regarding cannabis.
“We’re not trying to say ‘cannabis
is bad for you or cannabis
is good for you’. It’s really important
to make the distinction
that this is basic biology, basic
biological research,” she said.
“What we’re trying to do is understand
a little bit more of the
impacts it (cannabis use) might
be having.
“Whether that’s the detrimental
impacts that come with
long-term use or whether it’s
the medicinal and therapeutic
impacts, we just don’t know.”
Osborne said while cannabis
use can be detrimental for heavy
users, it could be beneficial
regarding pain management, the
treatment of chronic illnesses
and end of life care.
“If we can put some
empirical meat on the bone
and understand a bit about the
molecular pathways that may
or may not be involved we can
start to understand a lot more,
she said.
“Without doubt, it was the
capital gain that sold us...
..but it was more than that. The value of what we could
get here - three bedrooms, a double garage,
so I could have my workshop, and a small garden
to keep Diane, my wife, happy...well, we just knew
it was the one.”
There are many more reasons why Woodcroft Estate could be
the right choice for you. Why not come into our onsite office
and discover just how much more there is to be gained in your
retirement living.
BRUCE WALLACE - RETIRED BUSINESSMAN
PAVILION & SALES OFFICE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT
MON-FRI 9AM TILL 3PM | CALL 0800 KARAKA TO BOOK
34 KENDON DRIVE LEVI PARK, ROLLESTON | CORINNE 03 421 7796 | 021 292 1141 |
SALES@WOODCROFTESTATE.CO.NZ |
karakapines.co.nz