It’s difficult for the scientific community to come to a consensus when it comes to marijuana. A few months after a study said cannabis affected sperm quality, a new Harvard study published in Human Reproductions concludes that men who have smoked marijuana may be more fertile than those who have never taken a puff in their life. Guys who have a history of smoking marijuana, even just once, have greater fertility than the others. The researchers made the shocking discovery after studying data from 600 men who visited a fertility clinic. They were expecting cannabis to have an adverse effect on sperm quality. Instead, they were in for a real surprise when they found out that smoking cannabis was linked to higher fertility.

The researchers collected sperm samples from 662 men between 2000 and 2017. The subjects were college-educated, white men with an average age of 36 years. These men were all seeking treatment at a fertility clinic and were asked to fill in details about cannabis usage in the past. Sperm Count 50 Per Cent Lower in Sons of Fathers Who Smoke, Says Study.

Fifty-five percent of men admitted having smoked pot at some point in their lives. Analysis of their sperm showed that the ones who had a history of marijuana smoking had an average sperm concentration of 62.7 million sperm per millilitre. The non-users without a history of smoking weed fared much lesser with an average count of 45.4 million per millilitre. Marijuana Alters Sperm? Erectile Dysfunction and Other Effects of Cannabis on Sex and Fertility.

So does marijuana make men more fertile? Before pot smokers start gloating, here’s a dampener. There is no direct cause-effect relationship between pot smoking and sperm count, which means pot may not be directly causing the high sperm count. Researchers believe that pot-smoking may be seen in men with risk-taking behaviour, which points towards higher testosterone and sperm count.

Dr Jorge Chavarro, the lead researcher of the study, cautions against the simplistic interpretation of the findings, and insists on studying the effect of marijuana use on fertility further.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 06, 2019 03:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).