Confession : I speak from a place of complete ignorance. I have never had marijuana induced sex. I have tried. Believe me , I have tried. Back in the day , like pre September 2018 when marijuana became legalised in South Africa, I attempted to smoke weed pre sex. But alas, since I have chosen to completely avoid smoking nicotine , I never mastered the inhalation of smoking weed. Coughing and spluttering resulted which never induced sexual feelings.
Thus I have relied on anecdotal evidence collected from my friends and clients to get a sense of the effect marijuana has on their sexuality. And this has proven so varied and inconsistent that I have never been able to give an informed answer when I have been asked what the impact of weed is on sexuality. Until now. Now that we are at the starting blocks of the marijuana legal euphoria, research is possible, and we are ready, steady , to go with some solid evidence . I say Hallelujah for science !
Legal facts about the decriminalisation of weed in South Africa.
1. The personal use of dagga is not a criminal offence, nor is the cultivation or possession of it in private.
2. It is illegal to deal marijuana, sell it to others or smoke it outside of your own home.
As you will see the science is still building- with some messy outcomes- as it is only possible to do science in states/countries where cannabis is legal. So please give me your personal experience of the effect of marijuana on your sex life. Im betting on stories being varied .. and messy:
* Females, are your orgasms more intense ?
His research reporting is on the impact of marijuana on men’s sexual responses.
Sensibly he says that while it is tempting to conclude from surveys that marijuana helps men last longer in bed , perhaps this drug simply alters men’s perception of time. In other words, sex might seem to last longer when you’re high, but the actual amount of time you spend having sex might not really be any different from when you’re sober.
Controlled research looking at the effect marijuana has on erectile functioning reveal that, rather than helping erections, weed could potentially hurt them.
Animal findings suggest that marijuana is more of a sexual inhibitor than it is a sexual enhancer. Huh?! researchers have long argued that dosage is a very important consideration : with small quantities, the inhibitory effects on sexual performance tend to be pretty minimal. In fact, you may actually experience an overall performance boost with low doses due to these drugs lowering inhibitions and stimulating desire.
In contrast, when marijuana is consumed in larger quantities, erectile and other sexual problems (e.g., difficultly reaching orgasm) become much more likely.
Consistent with the idea that higher doses of cannabis may be problematic, research has found that the prevalence of erectile dysfunction is three times as high for daily marijuana smokers compared to those who don’t use it at all.
So far bad news, right ? The message is low dose to lower your inhibition and stimulate desire.
I was excited to see research study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (JSM), entitled the Association Between Marijuana Use and Sexual Frequency in the United States: A Population-Based Study, as it is considered the most important Journal of Sexual medicine globally.
The analysis represented 28,176 women and 22,943 men nationwide who were surveyed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) via a questionnaire.
The clinical implications of their study revealed that “Marijuana use is independently associated with increased sexual frequency and does not appear to impair sexual function.” In fact, daily users across all demographic groups reported having 20% more sex than those who have never used cannabis.
Look at the messiness of this result : it shows an increase in FREQUENCY, but gives no details about the satisfaction /pleasure of the sexual activity and no real fats about actual sexual functioning.. erections? orgasms?
Let’s turn to another study to get validation of the sexual benefits of daily marijuana use.
The Relationship Between Marijuana Use Prior to Sex and Sexual Function in Women, conducted at Saint Louis University in Missouri. The objective of this study “is to determine if marijuana use before sex affects the sexual experience, by how much, and which domains of sexual function are affected.”
In this survey, researchers polled 133 sexually-active adult women at one particular, academic ObGyn practice, during their annual check-ups. The female patients filled out a lengthy questionnaire regarding marijuana use before sex (hashtag #MUBS).
Thirty-eight women (29%) disclosed consuming cannabis prior to copulation. Of those 38 women, 68 percent reported more pleasurable sex, 16% said it ruined their sexual experience, while the remaining 16% were undecided or unaware.
Among the enhanced sexuality camp, 72% said it always increased their erotic pleasure, while 24% said it sometimes did. Almost 62% said it enhanced the quality of their orgasms and their libidos in general. Additionally, 16% of MUBS adherents disclosed they purposefully puff pot prior to sex, specifically to relieve any potential pain associated with the act. There were conflicting reports as to whether or not it enhanced vaginal lubrication.
They then widened the scope of their survey to 289 adult MUBS women, with similar results: 65% decided it enhanced their sexual experience, 23% said it did not matter one way or the other, 9% had no significant feedback and 3% said it sabotaged their sexual experience.
What I take from the current research is that impact of marijuana on men’s sexual responses remains uncertain , but women seem to get benefit stating increased pleasure, orgasms, and pain relief.
As I said, the results are messy. So you’re pretty much left to make your own decision whether or not Mary Jane is going to enhance your sexual experience.
Without being a Mother Grundy I do ask the many of you who are preparing marijuana potions, lotions , lube and pills that promise to enhance your sexuality, to be ethical in your offerings . For example I came across this lube Foria, a new lube that is infused with pot. No idea what is inside..And the list of promised pleasure is extensive. Check a few of them out here.
My colleagues across the USA are recommending cannabis, where it is legal, to clients with sexual difficulties .Cannabidiol, or CBD ― the non-psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant is suggested for those who suffer from stress or performance anxiety in the bedroom. As an independent agent, CBD can alleviate anxiety, elevate mood and reduce inhibition, which is pretty useful to people with performance anxiety. Others use THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychoactive effects, to create more desire and enhance the experience.
In the short-term, cannabis has anxiety-reducing effects. However, in the long-term, it can increase anxiety, which may explain the lack of libido in possible habitual users. By the way , it is said that cannabis does not impair sexual function nearly as much as alcohol does.
I get the psychological advantages , even if there are no direct physiological sexual responses the have been clinically proven yet: people who use marijuana may have more sex because they put less pressure on themselves when they are high, so they don’t have the same performance anxiety as those who are sober. I also like that a small amount of marijuana may also help increase your ability to communicate your preferences to your partner. I prefer to do this sober .
For more information , contact me .