Lately, many research scientists have been sharing a lot of information about the benefits of cannabis and quite honestly, some of the information was surprising.
Having said that, this piece of new information is even more surprising because Bloomberg reported that men who smoke cannabis could actually have “great fertility”. Wow! Who knew?
A bunch of scientists gathered sperm counts from 662 men who visited a fertility clinic with their significant other and they were shocked to find that participants who took marijuana at some point in their life have higher sperm count than others.
Nevertheless, the study authors quickly noted that smoking cannabis may not mean that one’s chances of becoming a father increases. Take note, guys.
Source: My Recipes
They reckoned that there could be a “non-casual explanation” to the effect of male testosterone on “sperm count and risk-taking behaviours”. One of the risk-taking behaviours would be smoking weed.
US lead researcher Dr Jorge Chavarro from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in Boston was quoted as saying,
“These unexpected findings highlight how little we know about the reproductive health effects of marijuana, and in fact of the health effects of marijuana in general.”
“Our results need to be interpreted with caution and they highlight the need to further study the health effects of marijuana use.”
Past researches, which involved animal experiments and men with a drug abuse history, suggested that weed can weaken the male reproductive system. However, the new study showed that men who smoked weed had an average sperm concentration of 62.7 million sperm per millilitre (million/mL). That’s a lot.
Source: Shutter Stock
Meanwhile, those who had never light up a joint in their entire life recorded an average count of 45.4 million/mL and only five per cent of marijuana smokers had sperm counts below 15 million/mL.
FYI, the 1,143 semen samples were taken between the year 2000 and 2017 and the men who admitted to taking weed are listed below:
- 55 per cent of men smoked cannabis at some point
- 44 per cent of men said they smoked weed in the past
- 11 per cent of men revealed that they still smoke weed
Natheless, scientists who wrote the journal Human Reproduction explained that “low-level exposure” to weed may be good for sperm production. Y’all may want to make a note of this. 😉
This is because higher sperm count may not necessarily have anything to do with cannabis. Dr Feiby Nassan who is one of the scientists who conducted the research said,
“An equally plausible interpretation is that our findings could reflect the fact that men with higher testosterone levels are more likely to engage in risk-seeking behaviours, including smoking marijuana.”
Source: IB Times
Dr Feiby’s point of view was seconded by leading British expert, Allan Pacey who said that the high testosterone in men’s bodies could the reason why these men smoke weed.
In short, Allan Pacey meant high testosterone = risk-taking behaviours, like smoking weed.
He also noted that the paper doesn’t give any concrete reasons that marijuana could have fertility benefits and he advised couples to not follow the idea if they are looking to start a family. You heard the man! Don’t take weed if you want to start a family.
This seems like an interesting finding, don’t you think? What’s your take on this topic? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Also read: Research: Second Ejaculation in 3 Hours Produces Stronger & Faster Sperm
