Pot of Gold: CBD Oil May Indirectly Help Erections

Many people would argue this has become the age of CBD everything. Even academic institutions like Harvard Medical School agree that while further research is needed, cannabidiol has been shown to have credible promise in relieving symptoms of:

• Childhood epilepsy
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Chronic pain
• Addiction
• Inflammation

And the notion of adding ED to that list doesn't come completely out of left field.

For starters, in many parts of the world, cannabis has long been associated with enhancing sexual pleasure and offsetting sexual dysfunction. The euphoric effects and heightened sensitivity to touch that many people experience when they use marijuana or hashish, combined with anecdotal reports that it increases arousal, help contribute to this conclusion.

However, at least one study suggests cannabis smokers are four times more likely than their nonsmoking counterparts to experience ED.

But what about CBD? Cannabidiol is the second-most abundant ingredient in marijuana. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol has nothing to do with the "high" marijuana users feel.

How much of this reported enhancement in sexual pleasure is based on the euphoric high of THC? And what do either THC or CBD have to do with actually getting hard?

"From what I understand, marijuana can have a negative effect on erections, but CBD oil can relax patients," said Neel Parekh, M.D., a men's fertility and sexual health specialist with Cleveland Clinic. "So if there's an anxiety component to the ED, CBD may help those types of patients."

Indeed, one meta-study reviewed 49 relevant studies that looked at CBD and anxiety. Researchers concluded that CBD appears to be an effective way to treat anxiety for many people. Given how dependent erections are on a man's mental and emotional state, that would appear to be one for the "win" column for advocates of using CBD to help ED.

If you experience erectile dysfunction and would rather not use a substance such as CBD or add another medication to your routine, a wearable medical device can help. Eddie^® by Giddy is an FDA-registered Class II medical device designed to treat erectile dysfunction and improve male sexual performance. Its specific shape optimizes blood flow as it puts pressure on the veins of the penis but not the arteries.

In 2021 clinical trials, Eddie proved effective in treating men with physically, psychologically and pharmacologically induced ED. Of the study participants, 95 percent of men who used Eddie reported a beneficial effect on their sex lives.

Apart from helping with potential general anxiety, CBD oil may affect erectile function through the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). This recently discovered system helps to regulate caloric balance, immune function and emotions. There's also some evidence that activating the ECS helps to reduce anxiety levels.

But another interesting fact about the ECS has to do with the receptors that trigger it. Cannabinoid receptors inhabit areas of the brain such as the amygdala, hippocampus and cortex, which are closely linked to emotional states. Interestingly, cannabinoid receptors are also found in the genitals.

Of course, it would be a leap to suggest that the mere presence of cannabinoid receptors in the testicles or penis is evidence that activating the ECS with CBD directly affects sexual function or sexual desire in men. The research isn't there yet; the study of the ECS is a relatively new field, and there's a lot to learn.

However, some evidence suggests the ECS system plays a role in sexual arousal in women.

Another area of interest to researchers looking for a link between CBD and erectile health has to do with blood flow and blood pressure.

Two facts are well established: One, high blood pressure is a risk factor for ED. Two, elevated blood pressure damages the small vessels that feed the penis the blood it needs to get erect, which can result in an increased likelihood of ED and a decreased likelihood of intercourse.

The good news is at least one small study suggests even just one dose of CBD can measurably reduce blood pressure. One theory holds that CBD may improve blood flow in general, which is another key to erections.

"Some studies describe there may be increased blood flow to the penis because it relaxes the blood vessels in the body," Parekh said. "But as far as I know, that's just a theory. There are more studies that need to be done. No one's actually studied just CBD oil and erectile function, as far as I know."

This may have to serve as the primary takeaway regarding CBD and ED: We just don't conclusively know enough about its effects yet, especially on a person's sex life, because no one's studying it. The scarcity of research may be owed to a lack of pharmaceutical company interest and the complicated legal status of CBD and cannabis from state to state.

"It's tough to get approval from your hospital to study things like that, especially when it's not legal everywhere," Parekh said. "So it's a tricky issue to study."

Perhaps the best takeaway on CBD and ED is the same advice you should heed with every other substance you consume and activity you engage in: Listen to your body.

"The data regarding [CBD] is actually all over the place and is not definitive in terms of whether or not it can improve or worsen erectile function," said Amy Pearlman, M.D., the director of men's health at the Carver College of Medicine at University of Iowa Health Care.

"At the end of the day, it's really up to the person to decide for himself if it makes his sexual performance better or worse, as I've seen it go both ways," she said.