Assessment of Cannabis sativa (Marijuana) Smoke on Serum Estrogen and Progesterone Levels of Female Wistar Rats

The study aimed to determine the effects of Cannabis sativa smoke on serum estrogen and progesterone levels in female Wistar rats. Forty (40) adults female Wistar rats weighing about 170-250g were used for this research work and divided into five (5) groups of eight (8) animals each based on average body weight. Control groups (A and B) were exposed to normal air and smoke from cigarette wrappers respectively. Test groups (C, D, and E) were exposed to the smoke of completely burnt 1.0g C. sativa wrapped with 0.5g of sterilized wrapper once daily, twice daily, and thrice per day respectively. All treated animals had one week and two weeks of exposure to the smoke of C. sativa. Twenty-four hours after the last administration for each week’s exposure, four animals in each group were sacrificed under chloroform anesthesia. The blood samples were collected through the femoral artery and analyzed for biomarkers. The study showed that the following administration of C. sativa extract at higher concentrations suppresses the generation of luteinizing hormone, lowering estrogen and progesterone levels. These impacts may alter the female menstrual cycle, posing a threat to female reproductive health.