Using cannabis before sex increases satisfying orgasms by 2.13 times in women

Consumers often report an increase in libido or pleasure with the cannabis but few studies have objectively investigated this issue. This new study, published in the journal Sexual Medicine, is one of the few studies on sex and cannabis to date. It focuses on the effect of prior cannabis use on female orgasm, and to say the least, the results are conclusive.

An Improvement in Women's Sexual Experience

Becky Lynn, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Louis University in Missouri and the study’s lead author, explains that the idea for this project came to her after a number of her patients reported using cannabis to address sexual health issues: «I’ve seen women with chronic pain who experienced discomfort during intercourse, women who had difficulty reaching orgasm, and women who wanted to boost their libido use it.» she explained to Weedmaps.

To conduct their analysis, the researchers collaborated with a practice of obstetrician-gynecologists and surveyed 373 of their patients (the majority of whom were white and heterosexual), 176 of whom actually used cannabis. The survey consisted of general questions about their sexual activity, pleasure, and cannabis use. The researchers established four categories (satisfaction, arousal, orgasm, and lubrication) to determine how they interacted with cannabis use.

A process that is still unclear

It is not yet clear exactly how cannabis works to enhance the sexual experience for women; this may be indirectly related to its effects on stress and anxiety or its effect on cannabinoid receptors located in areas of the brain responsible for certain sex hormones, or even the release of dopamine triggered by its use, which could simply lead to a maximization of pleasure.

For now, research on this issue is limited to surveys that report subjective experiences. However, the significant consistency among these accounts suggests that cannabis does indeed a role in enhancing the sexual experience. Thus, cannabis could prove to be a promising treatment for sexual dysfunction in women. In any case, a segment of the cannabis market targeting women and/or sexuality has already emerged, featuring products such as cannabis tampons, from lubricant to cannabis and even a variety of cannabis specifically designed to enhance women's pleasure.