Does Marijuana Use Increase ED?

Can Marijuana Use Increase Sexual Desire?

Marijuana is now legal in many states, and medical and recreational marijuana use is increasingly common. Based on data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), over 11 million people in the U.S. used marijuana in 2015. ¹

Marijuana is a drug known for its pain-relieving properties, but marijuana use can cause side effects like any other drug. So, what are the sexual health implications for men who smoke weed?

Most of the effects of marijuana—such as mood changes, clouded judgment, impaired movement, and an altered sense of reality—are caused by a chemical in marijuana called THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). THC can have numerous complex effects on the cardiovascular system. For example, THC can dilate the blood vessels, raise your heart rate, and cause the heart to pump harder. ² If this occurs, you may need erectile dysfunction medications like Cialis (tadalafil) or Viagra (sildenafil). At mailMymeds, you can buy ED meds online.

Some research shows that the effects of THC on the cardiovascular system can benefit sex drive. In 2017, more than 50,000 men and women took part in a study that showed marijuana is associated with having sex more often. However, this study concluded that more research is needed to understand the effects of marijuana on sexual function. ³

Does Marijuana Impair Sexual Function?

The study described above was conducted in 2017, and it has been a few years since then. More recent evidence attributes the positive association between marijuana and sexual frequency to many of marijuana’s other side effects. We now know that smoking marijuana can have many of the same harmful effects on the body as smoking tobacco. Long-term marijuana smoke can hurt the lungs and the heart, increasing your risk of cardiovascular complications. ⁴

Treating Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction pills like sildenafil and tadalafil are PDE5 inhibitors that are effective and work by dilating the blood vessels in the penis. When blood flow to the penis is improved, an erection is easier to achieve. 

Viagra and Cialis are approved for use in men over 18 and are considered safe. However, there is limited information on the drug interactions between ED meds and marijuana, so it is important to speak with your doctor about your treatment plan if you often use marijuana recreationally or medically.

There have been reports of sildenafil interacting with marijuana and causing a heart attack. ⁵ Due to these risks, you should only take ED medications and marijuana together at your doctor’s discretion. If you think your marijuana use is causing your erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor today to discuss your treatment options.

The content in this article is intended for informational purposes only. This website does not provide medical advice. In all circumstances, you should always seek the advice of your physician and/or other qualified health professionals(s) for drug, medical condition, or treatment advice. The content provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.