SPERM GO TO POT ON POT, STUDY SAYS

Sperm in men who smoke marijuana regularly lose stamina and burn out, which
may prevent conception, a new study says.

The study by the State University of New York in Buffalo is the first to
focus on the swimming patterns of sperm in men who smoke marijuana, the
authors say.

"The sperm from marijuana smokers were moving too fast too early," Lani
Burkman, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

"To attach itself to the egg, the sperm has to swim like mad . . . and they
have to be vigorous at the right time," Dr. Burkman said. "Smoking marijuana
messes up the natural regulatory system."

"The timing was all wrong. These sperm will experience burnout before they
reach the egg and would not be capable of fertilization."

The study, released in San Antonio at the annual conference of the American
Society of Reproductive Medicine, found that men who smoke marijuana have
less sperm because of lower quantities of seminal fluid compared with
fertile men.

One of the ingredients of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the
psychoactive chemical that makes people feel high.

"We don't know exactly what is happening to change sperm functioning," said
Dr. Burkman, "but we think it is one of two things: THC may be causing
improper timing of sperm function by direct stimulation, or it may be
bypassing natural inhibition mechanisms. Whatever the cause, the sperm are
swimming too fast too early."

The speed, volume, shape, density, movement and count of sperm were studied
in both men whose sperm is fertile and marijuana smokers.

A previous study found that the enzyme cap of human sperm changed when
exposed to high levels of THC. As a result, the sperm has a harder time
attaching to the egg before fertilization.