Chicago, IL: Men who report having consumed cannabis in the past year possess elevated levels of testosterone as compared to non-users, according to data published in the World Journal of Urology.
A team of investigators from the University of Chicago, the University of Miami, and John Hopkins University in Baltimore assessed the relationship between past-year cannabis use and testosterone levels in a cohort of self-reported cannabis consumers.
Authors reported, “[M]en who reported smoking THC in the last year on average had a higher T (testosterone level) compared to those who did not report using THC.” Those subjects who reported using cannabis at least two or three times per month possessed the greatest differences compared to non-users. Differences in testosterone levels persisted even after researchers adjusted for potential confounders, including age, comorbidities, tobacco use, alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), exercise level, and race.
They concluded: “[This] analysis of a nationally representative cohort suggests that there is a dose-dependent effect of THC on T levels. … Future prospective work using specific doses of THC and studies elucidating the mechanism of the association is required to corroborate these findings.”
Full text of the study, “The effect of tetrahydrocannabinol on testosterone among men in the United States: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,” appears in the World Journal of Urology.