While the jury is still out on this question, what evidence there is seems to indicate that marijuana use can compromise erectile function. Two researchers from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Urology undertook a review of the scientific literature on the impact of cannabis use on erectile function.
Their review, published in the April 2011 issue of “Journal of Sexual Medicine,” acknowledged that while some studies showed that marijuana use can enhance erectile function, other studies showed the opposite.
The researchers cited, in particular, recent animal and human studies that showed potential links between marijuana use and sexual health, noting that cannabis may have “peripheral antagonizing effects on erectile function by stimulating specific receptors in the cavernous tissue.” Cavernous tissue fills with blood and expands to create an erection. The researchers urged additional clinical studies in an attempt to definitively determine exactly how marijuana use affects erectile function.