Better Sex for Women with Cannabis
Here’s What the Science Says.
The research is thin, but anecdotal experience suggests that the right dose and delivery method can make a positive difference for some people.
To learn more about cannabis and sex we turned to several experts, including a gynecologist who has surveyed women about their marijuana use.
The bottom line: It’s hard to say with certainty that cannabis will increase desire or improve your sex life, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the right dose of cannabis can make a woman’s orgasms more satisfying and increase sex drive. This is in part because cannabis can enhance the senses and also alleviate some of the symptoms that inhibit desire, like anxiety, sleeplessness or pain.
What does the research say?
Both men and women have long reported that cannabis alters their sexual experience. In an essay published in 1971, the astronomer Carl Sagan, a longtime marijuana user, wrote that cannabis “enhances the enjoyment of sex” and “gives an exquisite sensitivity.”
There is very little research on cannabis and libido, however, in part because cannabis research has been notoriously difficult to fund and it remains a federally illegal drug in the United States. Most of the research that does exist relies on data from questionnaires, which are heavily skewed toward people who already use cannabis and are not representative of the general population, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. In addition, the surveys do not provide reliable and precise information about dosage, delivery method or timing.
But based on the limited evidence, the drug does seem to enhance the sexual experience among many women who already use it.
In 2019 a survey of 373 women about cannabis at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Missouri. Of those, 34 percent reported having used marijuana before sexual activity and most of them said it resulted in an increased sex drive, improved orgasm and decreased pain.
Studies have also found that some women use cannabis to help manage menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and vaginal changes, such as dryness, all of which may contribute to lower libido when untreated.
In addition, an online survey of more than 200 women and men who use cannabis found that nearly 60 percent said cannabis increased their desire for sex; almost 74 percent reported increased sexual satisfaction. But the study, which was conducted by researchers in Canada and published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, also said that 16 percent reported sex was better in some ways and worse in others, and a little under 5 percent said it was worse.
Basically, start low and go slow.
