Examining the effects of marijuana on men
The upcoming Canada-wide legalization of recreational marijuana will have all sorts of consequences, both intended and unintended. But what, specifically, will it do to the male body? Quite a lot, it appears.
For starters, pot affects males and females differently. A team of researchers from Washington State University, a state where cannabis has been legal since 2012, has given us some answers. Researcher Rebecca Craft found that, in female rats, the effects of THC were closely linked to hormone levels, with a spike in sensitivity right around ovulation.
Craft also notes that “the majority of research in humans suggests that women are more likely to be affected by cannabinoids than men, with reports of enhanced and decreased performance on various tasks.” She has also studied cannabis withdrawal symptoms, and says that women often have a harder time discontinuing pot after heavy use, with symptoms such as irritability and sleep disruption. In rats, THC withdrawal has even caused changes in the menstrual cycle timing.
Smoking pot also can also affect the male hormone balance. A famous, if rather dated (1981) University of Texas study garnered wide attention by claiming that pot caused testosterone to jump up to six times the normal level right after administering THC. Then, after 20 minutes, it fell to below normal. It’s important to note that this work was done in mice who were fed liquid THC, so it may not be applicable to humans toking up at home. More recent evidence comes from 1,221 young Danish men who were studied when they reported for their military induction physical between 2008 and 2012.
First of all, 45 per cent reported smoking marijuana in the previous three months, even though marijuana is still illegal in Denmark. This study “found a significant increase in testosterone (levels in the blood) correlated to the use of marijuana.” The researchers explain the apparent contradiction with previous studies which showed lower testosterone levels by saying that those studies ignored the confounding effect of cigarette smoking. So, the jury is still out on what pot does to your T level. You might convince your doctor to order a blood test and do your own experiment if you really want to know how your body deals with weed.
What about fertility? The Danish men “delivered a semen sample” which was dutifully analyzed by the researchers. The news was not good. “Regular marijuana smoking more than once per week was associated with a … 29% lower total sperm count after adjustment for confounders.” Combining marijuana with other recreational drugs had an even more severe impact, with a 55 per cent lower sperm count.
Other fertility-related parameters such as sperm concentration and motility were also negatively affected by drug use. The Danish researchers estimated that approximately 15 per cent of the men in their study might need fertility treatment in the future if they wanted to father a child.
Another gender difference noted by the University of Washington researchers was more increased post-cannabis appetite surge in males compared to females. So, expanding waistlines may become a significant problem for the Canadian male if marijuana use catches fire.
This is especially true if the predictions in a recent Deloitte LLP study are accurate. That report notes that marijuana use “tapers off with age” but that the middle-aged “conservative experiment” might be a growth market. Of course, that 35 to 54-year-old guy is often struggling to keep off extra pounds.
Experts suggest planning fun distractions, so you don’t eat all the food in the fridge. It also seems that various strains of marijuana have different munchie-inducing properties.
While everything else in this article is based on serious scientific research, it was inevitable that I would stumble across some more informal studies, especially on sites like herb.co. This source suggests that certain foods may prolong the euphoric effect of marijuana. Put “mangoes and marijuana” into your search engine if you dare.
The more entertaining men and cannabis research question is, of course, is pot an aphrodisiac? It certainly can be, though the long-term outlook for stoners is not so rosy. In 2017, psychiatrist Richard Balon of Wayne State University concluded that “low and acute doses of cannabis may enhance human sexual functioning, e.g., sexual desire and enjoyment/satisfaction.” On the other hand, “chronic use of higher doses of cannabis may lead to negative effect on sexual functioning such as lack of interest, erectile dysfunction, and inhibited orgasm.”
Balon concludes his article by suggesting that there is a need for rigorous double-blind studies of human sexuality in cannabis users and healthy volunteers. Somehow, I think he will find no shortage of research volunteers. Indeed, the October legalization will undoubtedly spawn whole new research initiatives at Canadian universities, which are now at a competitive advantage over U.S. scientists, at least in the wacky world of weed.