Episode 69: Marijuana and Reproductive Health: What You Need to Know

Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans have tried marijuana at least once in their life? It is the most commonly used recreational drug in the U.S. but many do not realize how it impacts fertility, success with IVF, miscarriage risk, and pregnancy health.  It’s easy to assume that something that is legal medically and sometimes recreationally in many states could be harmful to your health, especially your reproductive health.   If you’ve been curious about marijuana use and fertility - this episode is a valuable resource full of studies on cannabis use on female and male fertility, time to pregnancy, menstrual cycles, IVF outcomes, and pregnancy risks.  In this episode you’ll hear: [0:59] Marijuana use in the U.S - both recreational & medical [2:19] Facts about cannabis - THC and CBD Risks to general health Risks to reproductive health [4:17] Let’s review the evidence: Male fertility & marijuana [9:13] Let’s review the evidence: Female fertility & marijuana [13:03] Recap and suggestions for next steps Resources mentioned:  Association Between Use of Marijuana and Male Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality: A Study Among 1,215 Healthy Young Men pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov26283092 Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for poor sperm morphology (regular marijuana use associated with poor sperm morphology) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24899128 Effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana, on human sperm function in vitro. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16500334 Human sperm express cannabinoid receptor Cb1, the activation of which inhibits motility, acrosome reaction, and mitochondrial function hpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15562018 A prospective study of the effects of female and male marijuana use on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) outcomes pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/16458631 Male Preconception Marijuana Use and Spontaneous Abortion: A Prospective Cohort Study pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33165011 Impact of Tobacco and Marijuana on Infertility and Early Reproductive Wastage pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/35125388 Cannabis use while trying to conceive: a prospective cohort study evaluating associations with fecundability, live birth and pregnancy loss pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33421071 Marijuana smoking and outcomes of infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/31505640 A prospective study of the effects of female and male marijuana use on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) outcomes pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/16458631 Cannabis use during pregnancy and postpartum pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/32060189 Stay Up to Date in Fertility News and Events:  Weekly Newsletter Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books