As frequency of use increases, both men and women report more enjoyable sex
On supplement shelves at pharmacies and natural food stores, you’re likely to see products with names like Male Vigor or Female Responsiveness that promise to enhance sex. As I’ve discussed in a previous post [10.1.22], these products are over-hyped and rarely deliver the erotic fireworks they promise. But a growing research literature shows that cannabis, aka marijuana, pot, and weed, produces consistent sexual benefits. While cannabis does not enhance lovemaking for everyone (below), most studies show that it improves sex for around two-thirds of users. Recently, Stanford researchers discovered that as frequency of cannabis use increases, men report significantly firmer erections, better orgasms, and enhanced sexual satisfaction. The same Stanford team also showed that with increasing use, women report greater desire, easier arousal, better orgasms, and greater erotic satisfaction.
The Study of Women
The Stanford team arranged with a cannabis dispensary to include a QR code with purchases. It led to a survey of women’s cannabis use and sexual function. Completed surveys were returned by 452 women, age 18 to over 60 (average age 39), whose demographics were reasonably representative of the U.S. population. Respondents’ cannabis consumption ranged from almost none to six or more times a week. About half (47 percent) smoked cannabis flowers. Most of the rest vaped or consumed edibles. Almost half (46 percent) ingested cannabis high in THC, the plant’s main intoxicant. Slightly fewer (43 percent) used strains containing both THC and CBD, which has pain-relieving action. And 10 percent consumed only CBD.
Compared with the women who consumed cannabis only once or twice weekly, those who used it three or more times a week reported significantly greater desire (p = 0.03), easier arousal (0.003), more pleasurable orgasms (0.01), and greater sexual satisfaction (0.03). They also reported better self-lubrication and less sexual pain, though those findings did not quite reach statistical significance.
The Study of Men
The same investigators arranged a similar study of 325 men who ranged in age from 18 to over 60 (average age 47), also a reasonably representative sample of the U.S. population. Compared with the men who consumed next to no cannabis, those who used it six times a week reported significantly firmer erections (p = 0.03), better orgasms (0.002), and greater sexual satisfaction (0.002).
Almost All Other Studies Agree
• University of British Columbia researchers surveyed 216 cannabis users who said they frequently used it during lovemaking. Three-quarters said it increased their sensitivity to erotic touch and improved their sexual satisfaction. Two-thirds said it boosted the pleasure of orgasms. Fifty-nine percent said it increased their sexual desire. Only 5 percent said it spoiled sex.
• St. Louis University investigators asked 373 women who visited gynecologists for routine care if they used cannabis prior to sex. One-third said they did. They completed an anonymous survey. Compared with those who used cannabis infrequently, those who used the drug routinely before sex were twice as likely to report sexual satisfaction.
• Kansas City researchers interviewed 97 adult users. Two-thirds said cannabis increased emotional closeness and sexual pleasure and satisfaction. One-third said it had no effect on their lovemaking or reduced pleasure.
• Stanford researchers tracked a huge number of adult cannabis users—51,119 (28,176 women, 22,943 men)—for 14 years. Some reported enhancement, others impairment, but overall, the drug was libido-boosting—associated with one extra roll in the hay per month.
• Finally, in 2010, I surveyed my Psychology Today readers about their experiences mixing sex and cannabis. One year and several hundred responses later, two-thirds (67 percent) replied that it enhanced their lovemaking. Twelve percent said it ruined sex. And 20 percent said its effect depended on the dose, strain (sativa or indica), and/or their mood as they began cavorting. For details, click here.
Meanwhile, a few studies have shown that cannabis impairs sexual function. A small study from the 1970s showed it reduces testosterone in men, possibly impairing libido. That research has been thoroughly debunked. And a 2010 Australian study of 8,650 adults linked the drug to an increased risk of ejaculatory problems in men—premature ejaculation or difficulty ejaculating. It’s an outlier. No other reports have shown any association between cannabis and ejaculatory issues. On the contrary, recent studies agree that cannabis is sex-enhancing, heightening the sensual pleasure of kissing, caressing, and orgasm.
However, around one-third of people say that cannabis makes them withdraw into themselves. They lose erotic connection to their partners, which ruins their lovemaking. If that happens to you, don’t mix sex and cannabis.
Cannabis Use and Legality
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, some 100 million Americans, more than one-third of U.S. adults, have experienced cannabis intoxication, and more than 22 million use the drug at least monthly. It’s the nation’s second most widely used recreational drug after alcohol. As more states legalize its medical and/or recreational use, cannabis consumption has risen, from 17 percent of young adults in 2002 to 20 percent in 2014, and among those over 25, from 4 to 7 percent.
Today, 18 states have legalized recreational cannabis. Eleven have legalized medical marijuana. Ten have decriminalized personal use. And only 11 continue to prohibit it—though cannabis is readily available in all of them. Check cannabis legality in your state here. [https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state]
Marijuana Vs. Alcohol
Alcohol is the world’s most popular sex-related drug. For most people, up to two drinks are disinhibiting. Prospective lovers are more likely to say yes to sexual invitations. However, alcohol is also the world’s leading cause of drug-related sexual impairment. As Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth, alcohol “provokes the desire, but takes away the performance.” If people of average weight and alcohol tolerance drink more than two beers, cocktails, or glasses of wine in an hour or so, alcohol becomes a central nervous system depressant that interferes with erection in men, sexual responsiveness in women, and orgasm in all genders. In addition, alcohol is a key risk factor for sexual assault.
Looking at the two drugs’ sexual impact—alcohol often causing problems, marijuana usually improving things—you’d think most lovers would have switched from booze to cannabis. But I’ve seen nothing suggesting this is happening. That’s a shame. If you enjoy making love intoxicated, the substantial weight of the evidence shows that cannabis enhances sex.
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Kasman, AM et al. “Assessment of the Association of Cannabis on Female Sexual Function with the Female Sexual Function Index,” Sexual Medicine (2020) 8:699. Doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2020.06.009
Lynn, B. et al. “The Relationship Between Marijuana Use Prior to Sex and Sexual Function in Women,” Journal of Sexual Medicine (2017) 14 (Suppl. 1):S105.
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