Cannabis can boost libido, improve orgasms, and could even help close the “orgasm inequality gap” between men and women, a new study suggests.
A team of researchers affiliated with East Carolina University conducted this new study to expand the growing field of research into the sexual benefits of cannabis. Using an anonymous online survey, researchers collected data from 811 cannabis users aged between 18 and 85. Nearly 63% of subjects said that they smoked weed every day, and 88% said that they had been using pot for years. Nearly every subject (96%) said they preferred flower, and 60% said they deliberately get high before getting it on.
Over 70% of the participants said that they felt more horny when they were high, and a similar percentage said that they had more intense orgasms after getting lit. Around 71% said that cannabis enhanced their sense of taste and touch, which further intensified their sexual pleasure. And weed seems to work well for solo play, too: 62.5% of subjects said that pot enhanced their pleasure while masturbating. Frequency and history of cannabis use had no impact on the results, which suggests that these benefits apply equally to first-timers and experienced stoners alike.
Earlier studies have suggested that the sex-enhancing powers of pot work differently for men than women, but the present study didn’t confirm these findings. Researchers found that subjects’ age, gender, and sexual orientation had no impact on the degree of weed-enhanced sexual pleasure. These equalitarian results are boosted by the fact that nearly a quarter of the subjects identified as LGBTQIA+, which is a relatively high percentage for a survey of this nature.
But although weed seems to work equally well for men as it does for women, previous research reports that women are generally far less likely to orgasm during intercourse. These findings led the researchers to speculate that cannabis could help women achieve greater sexual satisfaction, which could help close “the orgasm inequality gap in our society.”
The study authors explain that their new research, which was recently published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, “emphasizes an individual’s sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction and addresses the need to explore options to help women have more regular orgasms. One possibility for increased orgasm frequency is cannabis. Using cannabis before sex has possibilities for social change by increasing sexual pleasure within our society as previous research indicates beneficial sexual implications, especially for women.”
“Overall, cannabis use tends to have a positive influence on perceived sexual functioning and satisfaction for individuals despite gender or age and cannabis might help to decrease gender disparities in sexual pleasure,” the researchers concluded. “Medical implications of this study include the possible use of cannabis for treating sexual dysfunctions, especially within women.”
The present study adds to a growing body of research exploring the aphrodisiac powers of cannabis. Survey respondents have regularly confirmed that they have longer and more satisfying orgasms after getting high, and other research reports have linked cannabis use to improved sex lives, especially for women. Cannabis users are also apparently more likely to have sex than those who abstain, and people who live in adult-use states reportedly have more sex, and even give birth to more children, than their peers in prohibition states.
