Dr. Pastuszak, one of the nation’s foremost experts on male fertility, is a urologist at the University of Utah. Within the realm of cannabis, he’s brought attention to its impact on male reproductive health. As part of his PhD research, his research analyzed 48 studies from all over the world. It means that cannabis products are more likely to lower a man’s chances of having children. It’s a crucial time for these new findings to be released. Views on marijuana use have become more lenient as well. Cannabis is now legal for medicinal or recreational use in all but 11 states across the U.S.
Even with these positive changes on the legislative front, cannabis is still illegal federally, making it difficult to conduct studies on its long-term health impacts. Dr. Pastuszak, who is himself not a cannabis user, makes an especially important point. Most men are willing to be honest with their doctors about their drug use, but the patchy legal status of cannabis prevents comprehensive studies from being done. Consequently, the risk of potential future long-term negative outcomes on male fertility is still not well understood.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 52.5 million Americans consumed cannabis one or more times in 2021. This statistic is a reflection of the increasing normalization and acceptance of cannabis use nationwide. This shocking number speaks to a larger trend of acceptance and tolerance for cannabis use among the American public. Dr. Omer Raheem, a urologist at the Cleveland Clinic and previously in Abu Dhabi, supports Dr. Pastuszak’s conclusions. This is particularly important because he points out that THC—most notably in smoked forms—has been shown to damage semen quality and may be detrimental to male fertility.
The growing accessibility of cannabis can lead to increased consumption among men, raising concerns about its implications for reproductive health. Dr. Pastuszak’s research sheds fascinating new light on these critical topics. He predicts men could be unknowingly putting their fertility at risk if they are using cannabis-based products. One, riding the rising tide of marijuana acceptance ain’t easy. We need to look at the unknown impact it has on worsened male health.
Researchers have only just begun to truly examine the impact of cannabis use on fertility. Given their findings, Dr. Pastuszak calls for men to be more aware of their cannabis use. We believe that awareness could be a key factor in avoiding any risks that may come with conception of children during the use of these products.
