Just because something’s legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. By now, most of us are aware of the ill effects of alcohol, or instance. This is certainly the case for pregnant women and their offspring.
Yet, because marijuana is so often touted for its health benefits, there’s a misconception that it’s totally different from alcohol. Thus, folks trying to conceive and even pregnant women may not give much thought to using cannabis.
This begs the question, does marijuana affect reproductive health? We’ll take a look.
Does Marijuana Affect Reproductive Health?
The short answer is yes. The current research suggests that marijuana can negatively affect female reproductive health.
Because the fact is, anything you put in your body is going to affect your overall health. And reproductive health is part of that package.
Scale it down even more to pregnant women and now we’re looking at the impact of marijuana consumption on the developing fetus. In studies, it was discovered that THC can cross the placental barrier and is also found in breast milk.
Furthermore, among women who use THC during pregnancy, there is evidence that points to intrauterine growth restriction, fetal neurodevelopmental consequences, increased neonatal intensive care unit admission, and impaired cognitive development of the baby.
So the choice to use during pregnancy and while nursing should be given serious consideration.
Menstrual Cycles and Ability to Get Pregnant
Again, without extensive and comprehensive research, it’s difficult to make any emphatic statements regarding marijuana and female reproductive health. There is, nevertheless, some evidence that with chronic use (three times per day for a minimum of three months), women experience irregular periods.
And the existing literature does support the idea that THC impacts the sex hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle and, therefore, ovulation. That means it could impact being able to get pregnant.
While the over-arching opinion is that marijuana doesn’t have a significant affect on fecundity, a more recent study highlights the possible risks of using marijuana for women who have a history of pregnancy loss.
Other literature suggests that women who smoke marijuana within a year of doing IVF have overall less success than women who do not. And yet another prospective study found that the women who consumed marijuana and used any form of assisted reproductive technology had twice the adjusted probability of pregnancy loss.
It’s Not Just Women Though…
A review done in 2020 on cannabis and male fertility concluded that cannabis use had a considerable impact on sperm quality and semen parameters. This included a finding that regular heavy use of THC can lower sperm count and concentration.
Another study conducted in 2015 backs this up. Of 1,215 Danish men who reported using marijuana more than once per week, 29% had a lower sperm count with 28% having a lower sperm concentration than those who never used marijuana.
So while further research needs to be done, it may be best to hold off on cannabis use for any men (or women) trying to get pregnant.
Hungry For More?
If you’ve had questions like, ‘does marijuana affect reproductive health?’, then keep checking back with our blog for answers.
Being as we’re in the business of cannabis marketing and public relations, we strive to be aware of everything that’s happening in the world of marijuana.
And if you happen to own a cannabis business but aren’t happy with your current marketing plan, contact us today. We’ll be sure you get into the spotlight.