Can Medical Marijuana Improve Your Sex Life?
Medical marijuana has different results when it comes to sex. There have been many claims about it being a traditional herbal aphrodisiac with out-of-this-world libido-boosting powers. Claims also said that it reduced sperm count, leads to premature ejaculation and many other positive and negative claims. The truth of the matter is that it is complicated compared to any of those assumptions. Sexual arousal and functioning are complicated. This is why different results will come depending on the circumstances.
The widespread prohibition that surrounded the U.S. drug policy for the past decades has resulted in little research about marijuana and sex that people can refer to.
“A lot of the understanding that needs to go into a discussion around cannabis and sexuality has less to do with cannabis and more to do with sexuality,” says Jordan Tishler, M.D., medical cannabis expert at InhaleMD in Boston.
Naturally, your body makes its natural version of cannabinoids known as endocannabinoids. There are many receptors for the cannabinoid compounds in parts of the brain that deal with sexual function. Endocannabinoid is released in humans after orgasm, which suggests that these compounds could be involved in sexual processes.
What then happens when cannabis is added in the mix? According to Dr. Tishler, Cannabis opens blood vessels and increases blood flow. It directly affects the cannabinoid receptors in the skin and nerve pathways that are usually involved in detecting pain or pleasure.
It is simple to see how such effects could contribute to better sex for a person. However, there is no full and conclusive understanding of what cannabis is doing physiologically in the context of sex because of limited research. But according to the little research available out, there is one clear thing.
What Limited Research on Cannabis and Sex Says
According to a study published in 1979 in the Journal Of Clinical Psychology, researchers asked a group of 84 grad students(78% male) what they thought cannabis and sex is like. 39% of these students had firsthand experience, and they agreed that marijuana increases overall sexual pleasure. Serious users also believed that marijuana increased the intensity of an orgasm. It could be considered an aphrodisiac.
Another study done back in 1984 and published in the Journal of Sex Research had college participants(62% male). Most participants in this study reported that cannabis enhanced some aspects of sex plus a few interesting details.
58% of the men and 32% of women in this study said that cannabis increased their orgasms’ quality. 70% of the men and 60% of the women reported an increased desire for a familiar partner after consuming cannabis. 70% of the men and 76% of the women reported increased sexual pleasure and satisfaction. 59% of men and 57% of women reported a heightened sensation of touching after cannabis intake. Only 34% and 56% of women said it increased the desire to snuggle.
A cannabis and sex recent study that elicited headlines was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2017 revealed a lot. The researchers did not ask people anything about how their sex lives interact with their drug use. The researchers only correlated the participants’ self-reported frequency of marijuana use and the frequency that they reported having sex.
This research indicated that people who reported using cannabis monthly, weekly, or daily reported more frequent sex than those who never smoked weed.
There is some truth about cannabis, enhancing a person’s sex life. Judging by the influx of sex-related cannabis products in the cannabis market, the substance must have some effect.
However, before you try medical marijuana for the first time, remember that it is a psychoactive drug, and different people react differently. Suppose this is your first time using the substance. In that case, it is important to begin slowly, take the necessary precautions to have the most enjoyable and safe sexual experience after consuming cannabis.