Cannabis Exposure Can Alter Sperm

New York: Marijuana intake in men planning fatherhood could impact their sperm as well as the children they conceive, finds a study. The effect is due to its active ingredient — tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which like tobacco smoke, pesticides, flame retardants and even obesity can alter sperm.

The findings, from Duke University researchers, showed that THC also affects epigenetics, triggering structural and regulatory changes in the DNA of users’ sperm. “What we have found is that the effects of cannabis use on males and their reproductive health are not completely null, in that there’s something about cannabis use that affects the genetic profile in sperm,” said Scott Kollins, Professor at Duke. “We don’t yet know what that means, but the fact that more and more young males of child-bearing age have legal access to cannabis is something we should be thinking about,” Kollins added. (IANS)

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