Boston, MA: Men who use cannabis do not have lower sperm counts, according to data published in the scientific journal Andrology.
Researchers affiliated with Boston University’s School of Public Health assessed semen samples from a representative cohort of 921 male subjects, 23 percent of whom currently consumed cannabis.
Investigators reported no significant differences in sperm concentration, volume, or motility in cannabis consumers versus non-consumers.
“In this North American preconception cohort study, current cannabis use was not appreciably associated with semen quality,” the study’s authors concluded.
Studies assessing the potential impact of cannabis use on male reproductive health have yielded inconsistent results. For instance, a 2019 Harvard study linked cannabis use with higher sperm concentrations, while a 2015 review paper cautioned that heavy cannabis use could pose detrimental effects on male reproductive potential. More recent papers have concluded that a history of cannabis use likely doesn’t have any significant adverse effects on either male sexual function or fertility rates.
Full text of the study, “A North American preconception cohort study of cannabis use and semen quality,” appears in Andrology.