If you’re curious about the effects that smoking pot could have on your sperm quality or count, some new research could provide answers.
Surprising results
A team of researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health looked at the link between smoking pot and male fertility. The scientists recruited 662 male volunteers who had gone to a fertility clinic in Boston. All the participants were Caucasian and had a college degree. The average age was 36.
First, the team analyzed semen samples from the men, as well as blood from 317 of the participants. All the men were asked to fill out a questionnaire about whether or not they smoke pot and if they’ve ever smoked more than two joints. They found that:
• 55% had smoked marijuana at some point
• 44% don’t smoke it anymore
• 11% still smoked pot
Surprisingly, the found that men who smoked pot had a higher concentration of sperm than those who had never smoked it. In addition, only 5% of pot smokers had below-normal concentration levels, while 12% of pot smokers had below-normal levels.
They also found that the men who smoked pot more frequently had higher blood testosterone levels than the other men.
Making sense of the findings
Although the researchers admit to being surprised by the results, they do say they make sense considering pot’s effect on our endocannabinoid system.
“Our findings were contrary to what we initially hypothesized,” says lead author Feiby Nassan. “However, they are consistent with to different interpretations, the first being that low levels of marijuana use could benefit sperm production because of its effect on the endocannabinoid system, which is known to play a role in fertility, but those benefits are lost with higher levels of marijuana consumption.”
The other theory is that men with higher testosterone levels are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as smoking pot.
