When Men Smoke Weed Every Day, This Is What Happens To Their Sperm

There is still much to verify about the merits and minuses of cannabis use. What science does know, however, is that there are marijuana side effects that differ between men and women. 

Men might turn to weed for various reasons. Some do it before bed in the hopes that it would bring on sleep a lot quicker. Others might turn to the cannabis plant to relieve pain. Still others might be in the habit of smoking weed at social gatherings or as a form of enhancing pleasure. Whatever the reason, weed consumption has seen a steady rise in the last few decades, with 17% of U.S. adults admitting to cannabis use, per a 2023 survey (via Statista). 

If you're trying to get pregnant and wondering about your cannabis use, most health professionals might tell you that smoking weed regularly could have a negative effect on your sperm count, concentration, quality, motility, and shape (also known as morphology). What this essentially means is that regular cannabis use could harm male fertility. 

A 2015 study involving 1,215 healthy Danish men (between the ages of 18 and 28), published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that smoking weed more than once a week was linked with a 28% lower sperm concentration and a 29% lower total sperm count. Sperm quantity and concentration — more specifically, ejaculate that contains at least 15 million sperm per milliliter – is considered ideal when it comes to getting pregnant.

A 2019 systematic review in The Journal of Urology, which looked at 48 different studies (involving humans and animals) on male fertility and cannabis use, found that weed could cause abnormal sperm shape. Some experts seem to think that the morphology of sperm is an important factor when it comes to determining male fertility. Having an oval head and long tail, for instance, could prevent structural problems with sperm entering an egg. But other health professionals think that sperm shape is not a problem fertility-wise, unless all of the sperm have an abnormal morphology. The review also found a relationship between how well a sperm could travel to an egg (also known as sperm motility) and cannabis use, concluding that regular weed use was linked with low sperm motility.

According to a 2021 study in Therapeutic Advances in Urology, marijuana use was common among men who visited fertility clinics. This study looked at how weed use affected sperm quality and found that it had an impact on both current and past marijuana users. "In the study of 409 young male patients seeking an infertility evaluation, we found that a certain part of the marijuana compound (CBD) had affinity to latch or bind to receptors on the sperm's structure, altering its shape and function, which can ultimately decrease fertility in men," explained author Dr. Omer Raheem (via University of Chicago Medicine). What's more, regular cannabis use has been linked with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) and orgasm-related troubles in some men. 

Regarding what happens to your body when you smoke marijuana regularly, there are conflicting findings on male fertility and weed use. For instance, a 2019 study in Human Reproduction found that men who have smoked cannabis had significantly higher concentrations of sperm when compared with men who had never smoked weed. The results proved to be similar with regard to total sperm count. However, marijuana smokers had significantly less follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with non-marijuana smokers. FSH is involved in testicular growth and sperm cell production. The study focused on men who visited a fertility center, and it is unclear just how much marijuana use the participants were admitting to. 

While more research is needed to establish definite patterns, health experts seem to generally advise against smoking weed (at least regularly) if you're trying to get pregnant. A 2023 study published in Fertility and Sterility found that sperm health could be partly reversed by discontinuing the use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another cannabinoid found in cannabis. Some experts think it could take anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the length and breath of marijuana consumption. 

Maintaining good sperm health is about making healthy choices for yourself, whether that means reducing stress, eating a balanced diet, or exercising. Until we know more about weed, perhaps it's wise for men to tread with caution when it comes to cannabis use as well.