Marijuana Can Cause Sterility & Infertility
Chronic use of Marijuana can cause Sterility in Men.
It can disrupt the Menstrual Cycle and cause Infertility in Women.
It is dangerous for the Baby of the Mother who uses Marijuana
during Pregnancy and while Breastfeeding.
Marijuana and Reproduction
Effects of Smoking Marijuana and Fertility
Article by Amin Gafar Fertility Expert
www.babycentre.co.uk
"Cannabis use has been linked with infertility in both Women and Men. So whether it's you, your partner or both who are taking it, it may well make it harder for you to conceive.
In Women, Cannabis can disrupt ovulation and affect an Embryo’s ability to implant itself and develop in the Womb (uterus).
Research suggests that Cannabis can affect the creation of healthy Sperm, and may lead to a Lower Sperm Count. Cannabis can also change the size, shape and movement of Sperm. Misshapen Sperm are less able to swim in a straight line, so are less likely to reach and fertilize your egg.
All of this suggests that you'll improve your chances of conceiving if you stop taking Cannabis. Wait until it has left both your system and your partner's system, before trying to conceive.
If you give up Cannabis while trying to conceive, don't start using it again once you're pregnant. Smoking Cannabis isn't safe for your baby. Studies have suggested that it may cause your baby to have a low birth weight, or to develop attention deficit problems when they are older.
Learn more about the effects of Cannabis in pregnancy, and discover these other lifestyle changes to make before trying for a baby. "
www. babycentre.co.uk Last reviewed March 2015
Marijuana Firmly Linked to Infertility
Article by Kristin Leutwyld
www.scientificamerican/com
"Scientists from the University of Buffalo have smoked out what may cause some cases of Infertility: Marijuana. Today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Herbert Schuel and his colleagues describe a cellular signaling system that responds to THC--the active substance in Marijuana--and that may regulate sperm functions necessary for normal egg fertilization. The signaling system may be activated by anandamide, a cannabinoid-like molecule which this study shows for the first time is found in human seminal plasma, mid-cycle oviductal fluid and follicular fluid.
"These findings suggest that defects in the cannabinoid receptor-signaling system could account for certain types of Infertility," Schuel says. "A better understanding of these mechanisms might lead to the development of novel drugs useful in reproductive medicine. For heavy Marijuana users, the study results raise the possibility they are jeopardizing fertility by overloading this system."
To be sure, the process by which Sperm prepare to fertilize an egg in the female reproductive tract is still mysterious. They must first become "capacitated" before they can begin swimming vigorously towards an egg and secrete the enzymes necessary to penetrate the egg's protective coat, a process called the acrosome reaction. But Schuel's work shows that both AM-356--a synthetic version of natural anandamide--and THC affect this sequence of events in three distinct ways: first, although low amounts of AM-356 stimulate sperm to swim more vigorously, too much of it has the exact opposite effect. Both AM-356 and TCH inhibit structural changes over the acrosome. And AM-356 significantly impairs sperm from binding to an egg's protective coat.
"The increased load of cannabinoids in people who abuse Marijuana could flood natural endocannabinoid-signal systems in reproductive organs and adversely impact fertility," Schuel adds. "This possibility may explain observations made over the past 30 to 40 years that Marijuana smoke drastically reduces sperm production in Males." www.scientificamerican.com
Unsafe for a Breasteeding Mom to Use Marijuana
Article by Alfred Romeo
Teratogen Information Specialist
Teratogens are substances that may cause Birth defects via a toxic effect on an Embryo or Fetus.[ Wikipedia
www.babycenter.com
" Most experts, including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, advise nursing Moms to abstain from using Marijuana.
But we do know that active chemicals in Marijuana, including tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, are passed to your baby through your milk. This is true whether you smoke or consume Marijuana edibles, which often contain higher amounts of THC than joints.
We know this because traces of THC are found in the urine of breastfeeding babies whose mothers use Marijuana.
Babies are much more vulnerable to Chemicals and Toxins than adults are. Experts are concerned about the long-term Physical and Mental effects on the development of children whose Moms use Marijuana during breastfeeding. Smoking Weed around your baby also exposes them to harmful Chemicals. "www.babycenter.com
Marijuana can Harm the Unborn Child & Breastmilk
Article www.parents.com
"It is unsafe for a Pregnant woman to Smoke Marijuana or Hashish as whatever the Mother Smokes, Eats or Drinks is transmitted to the unborn or Child. It is not advisable for a Nursing Mother to Smoke Marijuana or Hashish. Marijuana contains THC and would be present in the Breast Milk of the Nursing Mother who is a Marijuana user. THC is harmful to the Baby."
EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA ON REPRODUCTION