Marijuana and sperm have a complicated and confusing relationship. Some studies have found that men who smoke marijuana have a higher sperm count. Other research has found they have a lower sperm count. Regardless, what’s decided is that the hundreds of chemicals in marijuana tinker with sperm on a deep level — and new research demonstrates why.

In a study released Thursday in Scientific Reports a team from Denmark reveal that, for better or worse, the body’s sperm making machinery knows how to recognize cannabinoids, the active chemicals in marijuana.

It turns out that there are far more signs of the endocannabinoid system in testicles and sperm cells than previously thought. Endocannabinoids are a network of neurotransmitters that are naturally manufactured by the body, but they bear a similarity to cannabinoids, the chemicals that occur naturally in cannabis, which are sometimes called exogenous cannabinoids by scientists. Both the endocannabinoids we make ourselves (called endogenous cannabinoids) and exogenous cannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body.

In this study, after analyzing testicular tissue samples of the 15 men, the researchers found there are plenty of endocannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids in the testicles and sperm cells too.

That’s important because it tells us that humans sperm-production hardware is attuned to interacting with cannabinoid chemicals. So when we add exogenous cannabinoids into the mix, after say a person smokes a bowl, it could have effects on how that sperm-production machinery operates.

Those effects may have been overlooked before, says lead study author Niels Skakkebæk, Ph.D., an affiliate professor at the University of Copenhagen.

“Andrologists like me have for generations been focusing on other hormone aspects, but overlooked the possibility that endocannabinoids may participate in the normal sperm and hormone production,” he explained in a press release sent to Inverse. “I was surprised to find that endocannabinoids were so widely expressed in all cell types in the testis, both in the germ cells and the hormone-producing cells.”

This study found that there are signs of the endocannabinoid system in both testicular tissue and germ cells, showing that the machinery that the body uses during sperm production may also be affected by cannabinoids from marijuana. 

Skakkebæk’s study was conducted on a small sample of 15 men with testicular germ cell cancer, who agreed to have tissue samples of their testis analyzed by scientists. When they analyzed those samples, they found that testicular tissue and germ cells, which eventually become sperm, had three key ingredients of the endocannabinoid system: the actual endocannabinoid chemicals themselves, the receptors that they bind to, and enzymes that break those chemicals down.

In the tissue samples, they detected an endocannabinoid called 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which is one of the primary parts of the endocannabinoid system. They also found genetic transcripts that code for the endocannabinoid receptors in germ cells, and evidence that enzymes that break down endocannabinoids were “abundantly present” in germ cells.

That shows that the body’s sperm manufacturing plant has “machinery to synthesize and metabolize endocannabinoids.” That suggests that this machinery may also be attuned to the extra cannabinoids that fill our bodies after smoking weed — though it’s unclear exactly what happens when we overload that system.

I was surprised to find that endocannabinoids were so widely expressed in all cell types in the testis,

Skakkebæk notes that his entire study was inspired by work showing that marijuana could have negative impacts on sperm development in men who smoked at least once per week. “We did see a hint a couple of years ago, when we found that young Danish men, who had used marijuana, had significantly poorer sperm counts than their peers,” he added.

But there other studies that suggest that the relationship between marijuana and sperm quality is more nuanced. A paper released February in Human Reproduction examined 662 men who reported their marijuana use. Within that sample, 365 men who had smoked weed before had significantly higher sperm counts than the 297 who hadn’t.

Scientists are still studying how smoking marijuana impacts sperm count, but they've recently shown that the endocannabinoid system might be tightly tied to sperm production. 

Compared to the men in the Danish who smoked once per week that’s far less cannabinoid exposure — which could partially explain these results. 

That alone differentiates it from the 2015 study on Danish men that Skakkebaek refers to, but there was another key difference. To be counted as a marijuana user in this study the men only had to report smoking weed at least more than two joints (or the equivalent) in their entire lives. 

The lead author of that study, Feiby Nassan, Ph.D. a research fellow at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, offered two explanations for these results. One was that we shouldn’t be too hasty to draw conclusions from them (there could have been other factors influencing sperm count beyond smoking weed), but the other was that the amount of marijuana smoked has a big influence on sperm itself:

“Low levels of marijuana use could benefit sperm production because of its effect on the endocannabinoid system, which is known to play a role in fertility, but those benefits are lost with higher levels of marijuana consumption,” she explained.

Combined with Skakkebæk’s study, these new results point to just how tightly the endocannabinoid system and sperm production are tied. They’re literally built into one another on a biological level. In the future, we may finally be able to nail down exactly how smoking impacts that special relationship.

The Malaysian Court of Appeal is set to hear the appeal of a man who was convicted of and received a death sentence for trafficking cannabis, which he said he used for medical purposes.

In August 2018, Muhammad Lukman Mohamad, a 30-year-old father, was found guilty in the Shah Alam High Court after being charged with three counts of trafficking approximately 3,000 ml of delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (oil), 1,422 g of delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol and just over 279 g of cannabis flower in Bandar Mahkota, Banting in December 2015.

The sentence resulted in a public outcry, with citizens creating a petition that garnered tens of thousands of signatures against the penalty, as well as Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad stating publicly that Muhammad Lukman’s case should be reviewed, and a prominent MP, Nurul Izzah Anwar, referring to the ruling as a “miscarriage of justice.”

Muhammad Lukman will appear in court Nov. 27 in an attempt to plead for his life after three justices set the hearing date early Thursday morning.

One of the three, Justice Yaacob Md Sam, earlier granted application filed by Muhammad Lukman’s lawyer, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, to include additional grounds on his petition of appeal. The deputy prosecutor had no objections to Hisyam’s application.

Muhammad Lukman’s legal team depicted the accused as a kind, generous and devoted Muslim who would distribute the oil for free to patients who were unable to afford it. Although he has made some unfounded claims about the product’s ability to treat certain types of cancers, a variety of patients have testified to his generosity in providing the drug.

Despite much talk of legalizing medical cannabis, the drug continues to be prohibited in Malaysia for both medical and recreational purposes.

Possession of 50 g or less can net the accused a sentence of 10 years in prison, and a conviction for drug trafficking in Malaysia carries an automatic penalty of death.

A brain protein associated with depression and Alzheimer’s in young marijuana users has now also been linked to stress and anxiety.

Previous studies have shown that marijuana can reduce stress and quell anxiety in adults. New Canadian research indicates the same might not be true for adolescents. Instead, young cannabis users often develop a brain protein associated with stress and anxiety, according to the study.

The research, which was published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal Wednesday, provides another important clue to how marijuana affects the developing brain. However, the scientists behind the study were quick to state their findings don’t establish a clear link between cannabis use and anxiety.

“Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world but we know very little about the impact it has on the brain, especially in young users whose brains are still developing until the age of 25,” Dr. Romina Mizrahi, the study’s lead author, said in a statement. “These findings are an important step forward, but more studies are needed to better understand the role of cannabinoids and neuroimmune signaling.”

Utilizing technology to scan the brains of 24 young long-term cannabis users and 27 young non-users, scientists found that the cannabis users had higher levels of brain protein TPSO. In prior research, TPSO has been associated with depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain inflammation. Furthermore, young subjects with cannabis use disorder, which is qualified by people who develop an overdependence on marijuana, reported the highest levels of this brain protein.

This discovery shocked scientists, as they had hypothesized the exact opposite. When comparing cannabis users and non-users, researchers expected that marijuana users would have low levels of “neuroinflammation biomarkers,” including the TPSO brain protein. That’s because marijuana use, as referenced above, is often associated with reducing inflammation.

“Having a hypothesis disproven this clearly is rare, but this is a strong finding,” Mizrahi told CTV News in a statement.

Next, Mizrahi and her team will examine whether or not marijuana abstinence would cause the elevated levels of TPSO brain protein to return to normal. Previous research has shown that marijuana legalization does draw teenagers to use cannabis, but instead lower youth marijuana use rates.

Marijuana stocks have explosive potential. The global cannabis industry could generate annual sales as high as $200 billion within the next decade, according to investment bank Stifel. This would represent growth of more than 1,500% from the approximately $12 billion in sales the industry produced in 2018. 

The following three cannabis companies are particularly well-positioned to profit from the cannabis boom -- and investors who buy their stocks today should be well rewarded in the years ahead.

The cannabis superstore

Nevada is one of the most lucrative legal marijuana markets in the U.S. -- and Planet 13 Holdings (OTC:PLNHF) is the best way to play it. The dispensary company operates its massive SuperStore on the Las Vegas Strip. When it's fully built out, the high-end cannabis retail complex and entertainment center will span 112,000 square feet, which will make it the largest such destination in the world. 

Thanks in part to its huge selection of marijuana, cannabis extracts, and infused products, Planet 13's Vegas SuperStore already serves more than 2,000 customers per day. In turn, Planet 13 -- which saw its revenue surge 275% year over year to $16.5 million in the second quarter -- now accounts for nearly 10% of Nevada's cannabis dispensary sales. The pot purveyor is also becoming more profitable as it expands; its gross profit before biological adjustments soared 333% to $9.7 million, as gross margin improved to 58.7% from 50.8% in the year-ago quarter. 

Investors can expect Planet 13 Holdings' revenue and profits to head even higher in the year ahead. The company is gearing up to launch another cannabis superstore in California. The 40,000 square foot facility will be located about 10 minutes from Disneyland and only three miles from the South Coast Plaza mall, which hosts 24 million visitors a year.  

The CBD leader

Charlotte's Web Holdings (OTC:CWBHF) is the global market share leader in hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products. Unlike marijuana, CBD doesn't get people high. But due to its perceived health benefits, CBD sales in the U.S. alone could approach $24 billion by 2023, according to analysts at Brightfield Group.

Charlotte's Web's CBD products can be found in more than 8,000 retail locations across the U.S., including some major chains such as CVS Health and Kroger. The company also has a rapidly growing e-commerce business, which accounts for nearly half its sales. 

Charlotte's Web's revenue climbed 45% year over year to $25 million in the second quarter. The company is ramping up its hemp production to meet the surging demand for CBD. In turn, analysts expect Charlotte's Web's revenue growth to accelerate to 90% in the third quarter, 108% in the fourth quarter, and 140% in 2020. Better still, Charlotte's Web's profits are projected to grow even faster, to the tune of 150% in Q3, 400% in Q4, and more than 260% in 2020. 

The real estate play

Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR) offers investors another intriguing and relatively low-risk way to profit from the cannabis boom. The real estate investment trust (REIT) acquires facilities that can be used to produce medical marijuana and leases them to state-licensed growers.

IIP's owns 30 properties in 12 U.S. states spanning 2.2 million rentable square feet. They're highly profitable, with an average return on capital of 14.5%. They generate steady, recurring cash flow, with an average lease term of nearly 16 years. And they have built-in inflation protection, with annual rent increases of 3%-4%. 

IIP passes its profits on to investors via a fast-growing dividend. The company recently boosted its quarterly cash payout to $0.78 per share. That's up 30% from the second quarter and 123% from the prior-year period. Investors can expect many more dividend increases from Innovative Industrial Properties in the coming years, as the REIT acquires more facilities and steadily increases its cash-generating abilities.