Women who consume cannabis before sex have better orgasms than those who do not, according to new data.



As the legalization movement continues to expand, more people are coming forward with questions and sharing personal experiences regarding how cannabis affects sex. Cannabis lubes are a hot item now and there are strains of flower said to increase arousal. While there is a plethora of anecdotal evidence out there regarding the ways that cannabis can be used to enhance sexual activity, the scientific research is limited.



One team of researchers exploring the relationship between cannabis and sex aims to contribute clinical findings to demystify how cannabis affects different sexual functions, in women specifically, like sex drive, arousal, orgasm, and overall satisfaction.



Inspired by talking to the patients who come to her practice, Becky K. Lynn, MD, is one of the main designers of the newly published study which determined that consuming cannabis before sexual activity can enhance pleasure and satisfaction with orgasms.



“My interest in this realm came from the many patients that I see in my clinic who have confided in me that using marijuana treats their sexual problems,” Lynn said to Weedmaps.





Aiming to examine how women interpret a sexual experience when cannabis has been consumed before hand, this study analyzes first-hand reports about:

Overall sexual satisfaction

Sex drive

Orgasm

Dyspareunia (pain during sex)

Lubrication

“I have seen it used in women with chronic pain disorders that lead to painful sex, women who experience difficulty with orgasm or an inability to orgasm, and women who use it to improve their libido, which may not match their partner’s libido,” said Lynn

The Study

According to researchers, the specific goal of this cross-sectional study, titled “The Relationship between Marijuana Use Prior to Sex and Sexual Function in Women,” is to “evaluate women’s perceptions of the effect of marijuana use before sexual activity.”



Published online March 1, 2019 in Sexual Medicine, the data was analyzed and interpreted by:

Becky K. Lynn, MD

Julia D. Lopez, PhD, MPH, LCSW

Collin Miller, MSW

Judy Thompson, RN, CCRC

E. Cristian Campian, MD, PhD

Spanning an 11 month period from March 2016 to February 2017, the study’s sample group consisted of female patients from one obstetrics and gynecology office. The patients were asked to complete an anonymous sexual health survey during their visit to the doctor’s office.



Once a participant was finished with the questionnaire, she would put it directly into a box secured with a lock, and the data was reviewed at a later time.



The Data

There were 373 women in total who completed the questionnaire during their visit to the doctor over the 11 month period in which the study took place. The demographic information shows that most of the study participants were about the same age, were white and identified as heterosexual.



Upon reviewing the information, the sample group of 373 women was divided into two main groups — non-cannabis users and cannabis users.



There were 197 women in the ‘non-cannabis user’ group (52.8 percent) and 176 women were assigned to the ‘cannabis-user’ group. Being assigned to the ‘cannabis-user’ group did not necessarily mean that she consumed before partaking in sexual activities.



According to the data, 34 percent of the ‘cannabis-users’ (127 women) responded yes to using cannabis before sexual activity, while 13.1 percent (49 women) of the ‘cannabis-users’ did not consume before sex, but did at other times.



Of the 127 women who used cannabis before participating in a sexual activity, 2.13 percent reported that they have more satisfying orgasms than those who did not use cannabis. Participants who reported using cannabis frequently, but not necessarily before sex, were 2.10 times more likely to respond yes to having satisfactory orgasms than those who reportedly used cannabis infrequently.



The study states that “most women reported an increases in sex drive, an improvement in orgasm, a decrease in pain, but no change in lubrication.”





The Findings

According to the study’s authors, there were two main outcomes observed:

“Satisfaction in the sexual domains of drive, orgasm, lubrication, dyspareunia, and overall sexual experience.” “The effect of the frequency of marijuana use on satisfaction.”

Timing was an important factor with the women who reported using cannabis before sex. The proper timing between cannabis consumption and sex was crucial for a “positive effect on orgasm.”



Contributing clinical examples to what we understand about the relationship between cannabis and sex, this study concludes that cannabis can have a positive impact on a woman’s sex life, and more research should be completed on the topic.

Photo Courtesy of Valeria Boltneva from Pexels

