The Investigation of the Effect of Marijuana Usage on Semen Analysis and Male Fertility: A Systematic Review

Background and Objective: Marijuana is the most widely used recreational drug in the Western world with reported use among 13.7% in the United States and most of them are often males. The active component of marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol, which has been shown to have receptors in the testis. Some studies have investigated the association between marijuana and male reproduction. We, therefore, studied the association between marijuana use and semen quality Search Method: A literature search was conducted on online databases such as Web of Science, Pubmed, Embase, and Scopus to identify the effect of marijuana usage on semen analysis and male fertility. The references in relevant reviews and published clinical trials were included in the study. Findings: Based on these studies, semen volume and total sperm numbers are significantly reduced compared to controls. In one of the studies, sperm motility was lower and sperm morphological defects were increased but in another study, morphology and the motility were not affected. People who were smoking marijuana regularly more than once a week had a lower level in the concentration and the total sperm count. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with marijuana smokers within the same range as cigarette smokers. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that men who smoked marijuana, had a significant reduction in semen volume and total sperm number. This study suggests marijuana smoking is associated with altered semen quality and people who smoke marijuana, are at the high risk of being infertile.

Keywords:

marijuana , semen analysis , male fertility