Marijuana can help regulate many things in the body from mood to pain management due to its interaction with the endocannabinoid system. This has many cannabis consumers wondering: Does cannabis affect hormone levels? And if so, how? Here’s what we know so far about cannabis and your hormone levels.

The Endocannabinoid System

There is room for a lot more research on marijuana’s hormonal impact. Despite this, it’s safe to say that something with such a powerful influence on the endocannabinoid system would also have hormonal repercussions.

This is largely due to THC, the cannabinoid we understand best. THC can reportedly alter neurotransmitters that are either linked to or located in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that connects the nervous system to the endocrine system, which produces the body’s hormones.

We have a good grasp of cannabis’ effect on the endocannabinoid system, the body’s network of neurons responsible for a host of critical bodily functions.

These interactions are what make cannabis an effective painkiller, appetite stimulant and mood regulator.

As the body’s nervous system operates in relation to other bodily functions, cannabis would also produce an effect on hormone levels.

Cannabis’ Effect On Men’s Hormones

Does Cannabis Affect Hormone Levels?

There is more conclusive research on how cannabis affects men’s hormones than women’s. And research suggests that it impacts reproductive hormones, for the most part.

Preclinical studies show that THC blocks the release of GnRH, a hormone that triggers the production of other hormones.

This can ultimately lower testosterone production. The same study also found that THC limited growth hormone release, which is responsible for growing bone and muscle.

Another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found

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