Study: sperm may contain THC in regular cannabis users

According to a recent study by a team of researchers from the Harvard Medical SchoolIn this case, semen may sometimes contain THC.

In a study involving 12 participants who consumed cannabis on a regular basis Through inhalation, researchers were able to detect delta-9 THC—the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis—in semen samples from two subjects. And at least one THC metabolite—what remains after the body has processed the compound—could be detected in all samples.

Why focus on THC in semen? Primarily to try to measure the effects of cannabis on fertility. Men of reproductive age, the study’s authors note, «are the most common cannabis users, with 19.4% of men in the United States reporting that they use it.» ” A 2018 study cited by the authors found that 16.5% of men and 11.5% of women reported using cannabis while trying to conceive.

Exactly how THC affects the reproductive systems and child development are questions that the Harvard authors do not attempt to answer in the study. The main objective of research  «was to determine whether THC can cross the blood-testis barrier,» which they seem to have succeeded in determining.

«As part of a growing body of evidence regarding the effects of the endocannabinoid system on the regulation and maintenance of fertility and the onset of pregnancy,» the study states, «our report is the first to show that the exogenous cannabinoid THC can be detected in a reproductive matrix.»

Because of the need to detect THC, the researchers focused on regular, long-term cannabis users. All participants reported having used cannabis on 25 to 30 days during the previous month, and most said they had been regular users for at least five years. «Therefore,» the team stated, «the results of our study cannot be generalized to include all users, including moderate or light users.»

«It is puzzling that some, but not all, of the semen samples tested positive for THC,» the study states. «Future research should aim to identify characteristics that may affect detectable THC levels in semen.»

It is still difficult to say with certainty and precision how THC affects sperm, or the Effects of THC on Fertility and design. Studies are scarce and often contradictory.

For example, a study of 1,200 young Danish men found that those who smoked cannabis regularly had a lower sperm count than those who did not. Another study, involving 662 older men in Massachusetts, found that men who had previously smoked cannabis had significantly higher sperm counts than those who had not.

«The ability to quantify cannabinoids in human reproductive tissues and fluids,» they conclude, «gives us the ability to directly study the effects of cannabis on the early stages of human reproduction.»