If you’re smoking cannabis, then you’re probably not considering having kids any time soon.
As cannabis has been popularised recently for its calming and ‘healing’ effects, most people are now led to believe that cannabis is actually good for your health.
However, for the average person, this is not the case. In fact, long-term abuse of cannabis has now been proven to have a negative impact on your fertility and ability to conceive.
Studies have shown that excessive cannabis use over an extended period of time can make women twice more likely to experience a risky pregnancy or pregnancy loss. This includes miscarriage and stillbirth.
Cannabis use affects women’s fertility in the following ways [1]:
Despite the fact that the laws surrounding cannabis use in some countries have recently been relaxed, research has proven that cannabis does in fact have negative effects on male fertility.
Cannabis use affects male’s fertility in the following ways [2]:
Cannabis use is known to lower your fertility health, making it harder to conceive children for both men and women.
In men notably, cannabis lowers testosterone levels throughout the body. In women, it is known to decrease oestrogen levels in females.
Both of these hormones are both vital hormones in the reproductive system of both men and women.
When someone suffers from lower levels of testosterone and oestrogen, they may not feel particular ‘in the mood’ or attractive. This means that the individual then suffers from a low libido, which only adds to the problem.
Many people believe that smoking cigarettes reduces both male and female fertility. Yet, when it comes to smoking cannabis this is often negated.
However, recent studies have found that smoking cannabis on a weekly basis does increase your chances of sadly experiencing a miscarriage.
Nevertheless, it has been admitted that with the legalisation of cannabis on the rise, more research is needed in order to gain a better understanding of the issue and its causes.
THC stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol which is the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.
It has now been proven to negatively affect the endocannabinoid system, which is the main receptor within our bodies which helps to pass messages to the brain.
The endocannabinoid system also has a vital part to play in the reproductive system, as it controls the hormone levels and immune system.
Cannabis has also been known to reduce sperm count in men. A paper [3] has now proven that frequent cannabis use can have a significant effect on sperm count in men.
In fact, their study showed that men who smoke cannabis regularly saw a 29% reduction in their sperm count [3].
However, once again more research is needed into cannabis use and the reproductive system in order to establish why and how this might happen.
In addition to this, it has now been widely studied that excessive cannabis use can also make pre-existing fertility issues worse.
For example, if a couple has been trying to get pregnant for a number of months or even years, excessive cannabis use might make their efforts even more challenging or unlikely.
If you’ve ever tried to get pregnant and struggled, then you will be very aware of just how important it is to be healthy overall.
For example, if you are actively trying to get pregnant then you might want to stop smoking cigarettes, start to exercise frequently and eat healthily.
For those who smoke cannabis, their use can have some extremely negative effects on not just their body, but their mind too.
Excessive cannabis use can affect the body in many different ways, including the following.
If you’re worried about the risk excessive cannabis use could have on your fertility, then you should also be aware of the impact cannabis use has on pregnancy.
We know that when an individual consumes cannabis, then the cannabis will cross with the placenta, as well as pass through the breast milk.
This means that the cannabis comes into contact with the baby and can result in outcomes such as miscarriage, and preterm birth and can potentially impact the foetal development of the baby.
Here are some of the ways cannabis use can impact pregnancy:
We know that a foetus can develop cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system, often even after 2-3 months. This can affect their brain development. This has also been linked to potential behavioural issues in the issue, along with a decreased attention span.
A number of studies [4] have now proven that excessive and heavy cannabis users are more likely to have a child with low birth weight.
Heavy and excessive cannabis users are also more likely to give birth prematurely, which carries with it its own health risks and concerns.
Unfortunately, the same studies that assessed premature birth also looked into stillbirth. They found that all studies currently indicate that cannabis use results in a slight increase in the risk of giving birth to a stillborn.
In a nutshell, a study from the National Institute of Health [5] found that women who had previously abused cannabis whilst still attempting to conceive a child were 41% less likely to successfully become pregnant than those women who did not abuse cannabis [5].
For any women who are abusing cannabis and are thinking of having children in the long or short-term future, these statistics should be incredibly worrying.
Whilst the laws surrounding cannabis and its use are ever-changing, the evidence supporting the health risks due to cannabis use is becoming increasingly worrying [6].
If you are worried about the effect cannabis is having on your fertility, or are worried about your use in general, then it is time to call Rehab 4 Addiction.
Rehab 4 Addiction offers initial and ongoing support for anyone who is suffering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Our friendly, knowledgeable and supportive team are on hand online or over the phone to give you advice, help and support.
Simply give us a call on 08001404690 or visit us online today!
[1] https://imrpress.com/journal/FBL/16/2/10.2741/3701
[2] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.08.027
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26283092/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26401751/
[6] https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/_/FTW9DgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
