Whether it’s a legitimate concern or a worry for the future, chances are most male cannabis users have thought about the possible correlation between lighting up and developing a certain unwelcome bodily change; man boobs, or moobs as the google search bar so intuitively suggested for me. The clinical name for this phenomenon is gynecomastia and it’s caused when the ratio of testosterone and estrogen is favored by the latter, resulting in excess breast tissue.
At this point in time there isn’t conclusive evidence demonstrating a correlation between marijuana use and man boobs. Animal studies do show that THC, one of marijuana’s active ingredients, lowers testosterone, reduces the size of testicles, and causes abnormalities in sperm. There’s conflicting evidence whether or not these findings apply to human subjects but there are some studies that indicate marijuana users have lower testosterone levels than non-users, and that early use can delay the onset of puberty, confusing natural hormone levels.
The weed-moob theory has been around for years, but due to the illegality of marijuana large-scale, long-term studies just haven’t been possible. With the legalization of pot in recent years it’s likely we’ll soon see more conclusive evidence based on large population sample sizes. And possibly more cases of man boobs. Although we lack statistical data of a direct correlation between marijuana use and the development of man boobs, many physicians and plastic surgeons feel the link is apparent, stating that male breast reduction is on the rise and a majority of recipients self report as weed smokers.
It’s sort of a chicken and egg situation. Does the weed smoking give you man boobs, or do you smoke weed because you have man boobs? Just kidding. If, like many before you have, you find yourself worried that smoking weed is causing or going to give you man boobs, rest assured that there are several actually proven causes of man boobs. Medications including antidepressants, anti-anxiety pills, antibiotics, steroids, ulcer medications, and heart medications have been linked to gynecomastia, as well as alcohol and street drug use. Man boobs are also largely linked to various health conditions including natural aging, hyperthyroidism, malnutrition and… wait for it… weight gain. Even herbal products such as tea tree oil and lavender lotion are linked to man boobs. Long story short, I’d wait until there’s conclusive evidence before making the decision to quit your cannabis use solely to avoid man boobs. Perhaps try to imagine the crushing regret of waking up 15 years from now with man boobs anyways, realizing you could have just smoked weed the whole time.
