A lot of people have been asked to do a urine test, especially in cases where their employer wants to determine the presence or use of marijuana. Marijuana metabolites, which are the byproducts of marijuana intake in the body can be traced for days or sometimes even weeks after the user has consumed a THC-rich product. For all those of you who smoke weed every day, and if you decide to stop for a while, THC might remain in your body for up to 3 months, or even more. There’s one mystery question, however. Can THC be traced in sperm?
According to a new study conducted by a team of researchers from Harvard Medical School, the short answer would be yes! At least in some cases. The study included 12 adult males who regularly inhaled weed. THC was traced in the “little swimmers” of two out of the 12 subjects. In addition, all samples contained at least one type of THC metabolite (THC leftovers, after the compound gets processed in the body).
The study aimed at exploring the relationship between cannabis and fertility or pregnancies. According to the study authors, men of reproductive age “are the most common users of cannabis.” Almost 20% of US adult males have declared marijuana use, while an earlier study from 2018 has further suggested that almost 17% of men and almost 12% of women reported using marijuana while attempting to conceive.
The latest Harvard study does not attempt to answer how THC influences the human reproductive system nor the conceiving of a child.
The primary goal of proof-of-concept research, they explain, was to determine “if THC can cross the blood-testis barrier in certain individuals.” In this respect, the study appears to have been successful.
Regarding the growing data surrounding the effects of the endocannabinoid system in governing and maintaining fertility and early pregnancy, the study says, “ours is the first report that the exogenous cannabinoid THC can be detected in any reproductive matrix of every human being.”
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