A new study has found that marijuana use could be damaging to a woman's reproductive system.

Researchers tested human eggs and embryos for the first time from more than 1,050 participants and compared the egg cells from patients who did not have THC in the system to those who did.

They concluded that higher levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that makes people feel high, are linked to significant chromosomal abnormalities in embryos.

This could mean higher risks of infertility and miscarriage in women and a higher risk for genetic defects in babies.

Experts say while more research is needed, the data comes as marijuana use during pregnancy is rising. They say this trend started even before recreational marijuana became legal.

A study found that self-reported cannabis use more than tripled in pregnant women in the U.S. between 2002 and 2020.