Babies with their pacifiers
and munchies after marijuana may go hand in hand. Cannabis and breast
milk both effect the endocannabinoid
system. Cannabinoids aid the
body in creating a stable internal environment. The cannabinoids
in breast milk provide health benefits that
help babies grow
and thrive.
A human embryo at 14 weeks
of gestation starts forming cannabinoid receptors. By twenty weeks,
the receptors grow at a rapid rate and start to function. Research
suggests that the early formation helps to mature the nervous
system.(Source)
The 2004 European Journal
of Pharmacology article stated
that
"endocannabinoids have
been detected in maternal milk and activation of CB1 (cannabinoid
receptor type 1) receptors appears to be critical for milk
sucking.”(Source)
The desire to suck is integral to the life-affirming
need for nourishment.
Some of the same active
cannabinoids found in marijuana are in high concentration in breast
milk. The endocannabinoid system
boosts immunity, reduces
inflammation, relieves pain,
and increases appetite by
regulating the internal systems of
the body.
Source:
