Scientific Evidence Show a Linear Correlation between Cannabis Use and Increased Sexual Desire
The “infamous” plant called Cannabis sativa (Cannabis) could do many wonders to your libido. Studies have shown both aspects - arousal and sexual health - of weed use of both men and women recently.
Firstly, if we look at alcohol, although it can increase your arousal sometimes, several studies have shown the dysfunctionality and negative impacts of alcohol in sex life.
Sativa or Indica?
Indica or Sativa - which one is better for arousal? There aren’t any scientific pieces of evidence showing one is better than the other. However, people have experienced different “feelings” depending on the type of strain they used prior to sex.
A fellow anonymous cannabis user has shared her experiences with the two – Sativa and Indica.
Her Indica experience (Strain: Grape Ape): she experienced a heightened sensitivity to touch. She claimed ‘she reached orgasm within twenty seconds’.
Her Sativa experience (Strain: Clementine): This strain is primarily known for its energetic and uplifting effect. According to her, she experienced vivid imaginations and reached orgasm after a minute and fifteen seconds. Not as fast and pleasurable as the Grape Ape.
Although to her the Indica strain was the winner, everyone’s body is different. When it comes to sexuality, again, everyone is different. So, to someone else, a Sativa strain might be more pleasurable than an Indica strain. We can’t confidently say which is better, but we CAN say that Cannabis can have an effect on sexual pleasure overall – doesn’t matter if it’s an Indica or a Sativa strain.
Effects of Cannabis Use on Arousal
How Cannabis Alters Sexual Experience: A Survey of Men and Women (Weibe and Just, 2019) – Using a questionnaire, the researchers asked 216 cannabis users how they reacted, responded and or felt during sex following cannabis use. Approximately 52.3% had altered experience, 38.7% claimed sex was better, 16% had mixed feelings, 24.5% said it was better only sometimes, and only 4.70% said the feeling was terrible.
Male-female differences in the effects of cannabinoids on sexual behavior and gonadal hormone function (Gorzalka, Hill and Chang, 2009) – The endocannabinoid system and the effects of cannabis use in sexual health was explored in this paper:
In 50% of the men studied, those who are cannabis users had increased sexual pleasure and satisfaction, duration of sexual intercourse was extended and the quality of the orgasms improved.
Evidence has also shown a linear correlation between erectile dysfunction and cannabis use. A few rat studies have shown that heavy cannabis use can lead to early endothelial damage resulting in erectile dysfunction.
A hormone called androstenedione (an androgen) is secreted by the adrenal cortex following the use of cannabis.
Overall, evidence specifically on male sexual health and cannabis usage have been unfortunately very inconsistent across different studies in contrast to studies focusing on women.
Male Arousal - Testosterone Levels
One of the first studies displayed evidence of radiolabeled THC in a rat’s testes. This finding prompted a series of studies afterward. A recently published study has shown THC use is associated with small increases in testosterone. Although chronic THC usage was linked to a slight decrease in testosterone levels, the levels were higher overall in THC users compared to non-users.
Women Arousal – Increased Sensitivity
There are many studies showing in which THC increased the levels of an adrenal steroid suggesting a correlation between cannabis use and increased sexual desire. National Commission on Marijuana and Drugs (1972) have shown that cannabis use has increased sexual desire in women, which was later supported by new data showing dose-dependency. A study has also shown that consumption of cannabis increased sensitivity to touch, increased relaxation, and increased sexual responsiveness.
More on Male Sexual Health
The relationship between cannabis and male infertility, sexual health, and neoplasm: a systematic review (Rajanahally et al 2019) – This paper explored seven clinical studies and 23 animal studies to look at the relationship between cannabis use and male sexual health. Six out of seven (Table 1) of these clinical studies have consistently reported a negative impact on fertility. All of the animal/in vitro studies showed a negative impact of chronic cannabis use and sexual health in males.
Table 1: Clinical studies on male infertility and cannabis use. Table representation simplified by the author of this article, Asrinus Subha
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/best-strains-for-sex#for-increased-sensation
https://www.leafly.ca/news/health/women-report-marijuana-improves-orgasm-satisfaction-study-finds
https://www.healthline.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/is-smoking-weed-good-or-bad-for-ed