The widely-used illicit drug cannabis hampers sexual health, or at least the following article suggests so. Dr. Rany Shamloul, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology recently found that cannabis usage leads to sexual dysfunction among men. The research findings can probably alter the currently believed impact of cannabis use on sexual health.
The investigation was conducted on animals and in vitro studies that seemingly associated cannabis use with sexual dysfunction. According to the commonly held belief, cannabis affects certain receptors in the brain, but these receptors also exist in the penis. Since cannabis use allegedly have an antagonizing effect on receptors in the penis, ability to achieve and maintain an erection may be extremely difficult.
The drug is apparently utilized by young, sexually active people who are unaware of its hazardous effects on sexual health and performance. As Nathaniel Branden quotes, ‘The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance,’ making people aware about the negative outcomes of cannabis usage appears beneficial. The research seems to have important implications in the health-space.
The research will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.