For all the hopeless romantics out there who smoke pot, the relationship between sex and weed couldn’t be clearer: Marijuana makes sex better. The topic hovers at the intersection of two stigmatized vectors, and has received little attention in the scientific community for that reason. But as stigmas around both weed and sex dissolve, researchers are starting to ask why so many people use the one to enhance the other.
Last year, some randy scientists published a study in the Journal of Cannabis Research just in time for Valentine’s Day that found that weed enhances almost every aspect of sex. The study was based on survey results that told the researchers something every pothead has known for ages: Weed strengthens desire and increases sexual pleasure. The mechanisms behind the effects are still mysterious and manifold, though.
The study was headed up by University of Denver’s Amanda Moser, who was working at East Carolina University at the time it was published. Moser moonlights as a sexologist with an expertise in weed.
Moser and her team surveyed 811 adults who had used cannabis, asking them to rate sexual functioning and satisfaction in relation to cannabis use on a scale. Over 70 percent of the participants reported increased desire and “orgasm intensity.” The researchers found that neither age nor gender had a significant effect on the results.
They also found that a majority of respondents who masturbated reported that weed increased their pleasure (62.5 percent).
There are some limitations for the study, though. Like all surveys, the results are totally dependent on human reporting, and—as any grizzled old detective will tell you—people make for terrible witnesses. The brain isn’t very good at recalling events, and memories can be influenced by even the slightest nudge.
The participant group was also made up of what’s known as a “convenience sample”—in other words, a hand-picked group that’s “convenient” rather than using randomized or probability sampling.
Nevertheless, the results will ring true to most marijuana users. But if it’s true, then how does weed make people hornier?
One hint about a possible cause for the perceived enhancement can be found in the sweaty prose of a particular section of Moser’s study that focuses on sensuality.
The majority of respondents said that weed enhanced their sense of taste (71.9 percent) and touch (71 percent) either “slightly” or “significantly.” Our culture tends to focus on the visual and auditory aspects of sex these days, but it should never be forgotten that it’s a full-body experience that involves all of the senses. The majority of participants reported no changes in their senses of sight, hearing and smell.
“The enhancement of taste and touch could increase overall sexual functioning and satisfaction because these are two senses that are heavily used during sexual intercourse,” wrote the study’s authors.
Scientists associated with the Saint Louis University School of Medicine published a study in the journal Sexual Medicine in 2019 that surveyed 373 women at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic about cannabis. More than a third reported having used weed before sex, and the majority said they experienced an increase in their sex drive, improved orgasm and a “more pleasurable” sexual experience, overall (60.6 percent, 52.8 percent and 68.5 percent, respectively). The researchers said some women reported a decrease in sexual pain as well.
Notably, women who used marijuana before sex and those who used it more frequently were more than twice as likely to report satisfactory orgasms than those who did not use marijuana before sex or used infrequently.
According to the study’s authors, there are a number of good theories as to why it works:
“It has been postulated that it leads to improvement in sexual function simply by lowering stress and anxiety. It may slow the temporal perception of time and prolong the feelings of pleasurable sensations. It may lower sexual inhibitions and increase confidence and a willingness to experiment.”
The researchers note the reported heightening of senses associated with weed that Moser’s study also found. They also cite a 2012 paper that found that regular female marijuana users reported an increased physical closeness when using marijuana before sex.
It’s known that marijuana has some sort of interaction with the system that controls sex hormones—how they interact with each other and how they are released—it’s just not clear what the nature of that interaction actually is. It’s also known that cannabis has an effect on testosterone levels, which play a role in sex drive, but again, it’s unclear to what end.
But as both studies point out, the implications of the limited data indicate that marijuana may provide a pathway to new treatments for sexual dysfunction, particularly for women.
Moser has also said that cannabis “can potentially close the orgasm inequality gap.”
“Women may be more likely to orgasm when using cannabis before sexual encounters,” wrote Moser, “which could contribute to equity in the amount of sexual pleasure and satisfaction experienced by both women and men. Sex therapists could incorporate use of cannabis in states where it is currently legal.”
But until scientists can do more research on weed’s effect on sexual function, it will be left up to consenting adults to take on the role of citizen researchers and conduct their own experiments in this fascinating field behind closed doors.
What will these intrepid explorers find on the other side of the boundaries of humankind’s collected knowledge? We’re not totally sure, but you can bet your socks that we’ll be right there on the front lines, where the action is. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.